


Just Breathe

by RisingSkies



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Anxiety, Bondage, Emotional Hurt, Fluff, Gen, Guilt, Heavy Angst, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Self-Esteem Issues, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:01:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26383054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RisingSkies/pseuds/RisingSkies
Summary: In the midst of the Black Bull's latest investigation, Finral finds himself entangled with a gang of criminals. Forced into a double life, his situation is bleak and guilt eats him alive. Can he ever find a way out of this nightmare?
Comments: 26
Kudos: 72





	1. Chapter 1

Finral sighed, running a hand through his light brown hair. Sure, it was a beautiful day outside, the sun was shining, the temperature was just right, and birds sang gently in the distance. Normally he might find it pleasing, but right now he was on edge and his feet were tired. 

Recently complaints had been filed about a group of suspicious people lurking around a back road near the forest. Since the road was closest to the black bulls headquarters the task of investigating the area had been delegated to them.

“I don’t see why we can’t just go home,” Finral complained. 

Yami slid him an exasperated glare. “Honestly Finral! Do you ever stop complaining?”

The boy crossed his arms in a defensive stance, his face contorting into what was almost a pout. “It’s just we’ve been out here for _hours_ Yami. Hours! And all we’ve seen is wildlife!”

Yami stopped cold and turned around, staring the young mage dead in the eye. “Are you mouthing off to your captain Finral?”

A shiver ran down his spine and he averted his gaze. “I guess not.” _I shouldn’t have come. All I’ve been is an annoyance._

“I know what you’re thinking,” Yami stated, a softer expression melting the anger from his face. “If I thought you shouldn’t be here I wouldn’t have asked you to come. I figured you would be comfortable with this mission and it would give you a chance to shine.”

Finral was stunned for a moment before a small smile lifted the corners of his mouth. Knowing his captain supported him had cut through his negative thoughts, though it couldn’t do anything for the queasiness in his stomach or his tense shoulders. 

“Yo, look at that guy,” a third voice called in a low tone. Finral looked to Magna, following where he was pointing. In the distance was a man dressed in a long black cloak with the hood obscuring his face. He walked calmly down the center of the dirt road.

Finral’s already unsettled stomach tightened into a knot. _There’s something eerie about the way he walks._ He couldn’t place what it was, but perhaps it was his confident posture?

“He looks like the right guy.” Yami threw his cigarette on the ground and stomped it out. “I don’t think he’s seen us yet, if we go now maybe we can get the jump on him.” He stepped into the undergrowth with his crew in tow. Steadily the trio crept through the weeds towards their target, who was beginning to slow down.

“Do you think he knows we’re here?” Magna whispered.

“He will if you don’t shut up,” yami replied. 

Finral drew in a shaky breath. _Calm down Finral… it’s just one guy, you can handle him.”_ He tried to bolster his confidence. Suddenly his foot struck a hidden tree root and the ground rushed towards him. He let out a small yelp as he landed on his shoulder and rolled onto his back. Disoriented, he lay staring at the thick tree branches above him. Fear trickled down his spine and into his fingertips when he noticed a dark figure perched overhead. _It’s another man!_

He was dressed like his counterpart but appeared to be more muscular underneath the dark fabric. Realizing he had been found, the man pulled out his grimoire and mumbled a spell.

Finral’s blood ran cold as he watched in horror. The man held out his hand, palm upright, and a gray blob began to form. Every muscle in the young mage’s body screamed at him to run, but he just couldn’t will them to move. “G...guys!” He cried, his voice coming out as a squeak through his choked throat. The blob was morphing into a thick metallic spike, it’s point aimed for his gut. He grimaced, waiting to feel pain, but instead was lifted by the arms and dragged aside.

“GAh!” Magna dropped him when the spike buried itself into his upper leg. “Dammit Finral! What are you doing?! Pull it together!” The spike dissipated and he clutched his leg, trying to stop the blood welling up from his wound. 

“I’m sorry! I just… froze!” He shook his head and stood up. 

“He’s headed for the road!” Yami darted after the mysterious man who had since lept from the tree. Magna and Finral followed, emerging from the forest.

There were now three men standing ominously in the road. The third, who seemed to have emerged from the opposite side of them, was tall and scrawny. His hood was down and he had wide, crazed eyes and his hair jutted out in unruly spikes. 

The original man stood between his partners, his confident stance never breaking. He now seemed to be looking at Yami and his crew, though it was hard to tell underneath that deep hood. 

“Who are you?” The Black Bulls captain demanded with his katana in hand. The men just stared, unmoving. 

_Creepy._

“Well are ya gonna stand there all day, freaks?!” Magna prepared to fight, though he was favoring his injured limb.

The ringleader gave a dip of his head. Without hesitation the thin man next to him fired a lightning bolt at Yami, who dogged it with ease. In return he slashed a shadowy arc at the three.

The man on the opposite side of their leader reacted and a large metal plate deflected the blow. As soon as their defense was down Magna swung a fireball in their direction, only to be deflected again. 

Magna’s leg gave out and he fell to the ground. Knowing he would be an easy target, Yami stepped protectively in front of him. “Take it easy, Magna.” The men combined an attack at Yami, metal spikes mixing with electricity. 

Finral squared his shoulders despite his gnawing fear. _Now it’s my turn._ He lifted a hand and opened two portals, sending the spell back at its casters.

The lead man seemed to tense in shock but settled once he realized his counterparts were uninjered. He turned to face the young man. Even though Finral couldn’t see his eyes, his gaze seemed to be boring into him, making him feel hot and uncomfortable. _Why is he staring at me like that?_

After several moments he wordlessly turned to the guy on his right. The scrawny man seemed to be confused, a questioning expression on his face. He mumbled something too quiet for Finral to hear before flipping through his Grimoire.

“Lightning magic- Wild Charge!” A white glowing orb quickly expanded, letting out hisses of static.

Yami hefted Magna over his shoulder and dashed for the trees. “Take cover!”

Finral’s feet were already carrying him, his heart thrumming. He dove behind a thick tree trunk just in time for the orb to break into a flash of blinding white light. _We’re gonna die!_ Jagged bolts flew everywhere without a clear target. **_CRACK!_ ** A bolt struck the tree and the young man let out a startled cry. He covered his head with shaking hands and waited for the assault to end. 

Soon the noise died down and he heard Magna’s voice. “Ey’ where’d they go?”

“They must have got scared and ran away, suckers,” Yami chuckled.

Finral brushed himself off and joined them in the road. “What do we do now?”

Yami glanced at Magna’s leg. “Now we get outta here. That wound needs to be taken care of and I doubt they plan on coming back. Take us home Finral.”

The young mage nodded and opened a portal. Magna leaned on Yami’s shoulder as the trio crossed over to their headquarters. Yami helped him into a chair. 

“Magna! What happened to you?” Asta came bounding over.

“Finral happened. I had to save his useless hide.”

Finral was hit with a pang of disbelief. “Hey! I helped!” _He doesn’t actually mean it… right?_ Deep in his heart he wasn’t so sure. _I thought I did good… but I guess I didn’t really help THAT much… they probably felt like they had to babysit me._ His heart felt heavy. It seemed he couldn’t do anything worth being proud of.

“Whoah, you were in a fight?!” Luck bounced with excitement. “You _have_ to tell me about it, don’t spare any details!” Everyone else gathered as Magna began to share the day’s events.

  
  


Later that evening everyone was sitting around the common room laughing and having a good time. Finral sat quietly and watched everyone else. Guilt gnawed at his stomach, which was only made worse by the fact Magna kept glancing at him. Was that anger he saw there? Perhaps it was his imagination. The boy wriggled uncomfortably. _I have to get out of here._ “I’m going out for some air,” he announced as he made his way to the door.

It was mostly dark outside, the first stars were beginning to twinkle in the sky. Finral took a deep breath of the crisp night air, already feeling relief. He walked down the path through the surrounding forest. Dry leaves crunched under his feet as he ambled along, suddenly interrupted by the loud snap of a stick. _What was that..._ he stopped and tried to look through the trees. It was too dark. Everything morphed into indistinguishable blobs of black.

He continued on hesitantly. Suddenly there was a muscular arm wrapped tight around his waist. Finral yelped and reached for his grimoire in a flurry of panic, but it was rudley stripped from him and thrown to the side. He thrashed in the man’s grip, trying to shove the arm away. The man only squeezed tighter. 

Finral did the first thing he could think of. He leaned over and clamped his teeth into the soft flesh. A warm metallic liquid seeped against his tongue and the man let go just enough for him to break free. He sprinted as fast as his feet could carry him. He could see the headquarters at the end of the path. _If I could just reach it I’ll be safe!_

Cold dread set in when he realized footsteps were thrumming behind him. Before long a hand seized his arm and he was yanked painfully into a broad chest.

“You’re making this harder than it needs to be, kid,” a low voice spoke into his ear “Behave and I won’t hurt ya.”

_No, I have to keep trying.._ he drew in a sharp breath and let out a desperate scream, but was cut off by a large hand clasping over his mouth and nose. The scent of the forest, undertoned by sweat, flooded his senses and it was hard to breathe, he felt like he was suffocating. 

The man leaned his weight onto the young mage until he collapsed and sat on his back. 

Finral whimpered and warm tears stung the edges of his eyes. The weight on top of him was heavy and crushing- he couldn’t move. Oh how we wished to be back in the comforting familiarity of the common room alongside his friends, which had seemed unpleasant not long ago.

“Now take a rest.” A cloth was placed over his face, covered in something pungent, and the world went dark.

  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Finral slowly opened his eyes, blinking the bleariness away. _Huh?... what’s happening? Where am I?_ Even through the hazy cloud in his mind these surroundings seemed unfamiliar. The floor underneath him was cold and hard, it felt like stone. The air was stale and dusty as if this room isn’t frequently used. _Wait… a room? But I went for a walk…_

He was hit with a renewed sense of panic as he remembered the recent events. He sat up and groaned when his head throbbed in complaint.

“Finally, you’re awake!” 

The young mage startled- he hadn’t realized there was someone else here. He looked to the corner of the room where a man was getting up from a chair. 

_It’s that electric guy from earlier!_ He recognized the tall, gaunt figure from before. He looked even freakier up close. He was middle aged. His black hair was swept haphazardly out of his face to show brown irises that seemed too small for his large eyes. His face was long, narrow and he had a thin nose that hooked at the end. His skin had a ghastly pallor. 

“You look rather cute when you’re asleep.” The man crossed the room and crouched in front of Finral.

The boy gulped nervously. A hand reached for his face and he tried to flinch away. Cold boney fingers snaked around his chin and tilted his head to stare into those beady brown eyes. He trembled slightly. 

“We didn’t get to have a proper introduction earlier.” A thumb rubbed circles on his cheek. If a voice could have a texture he would describe this one as slick and slimy.

_I want to go home…._

“My name is Volt. What’s yours, deary?” 

“Why should I tell you?” There was no way he was giving his name to this creep. Hands slid to his shoulders and kneaded them gently. “Shy are we? That’s ok, Zodian will get it out of you.” The hands began to roam. Finral whined in discomfort. “Are you proud to be a magic knight?” 

_I want him off!_ He couldn’t handle the squeezing and prodding. He lunged sideways in an attempt to break away but Volt was surprisingly strong. “Leave me ALONE!”

“Don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you, I’m just getting to know you.” A hand reached for his leg.

Finral wanted to scream but he knew it would be no use. Anxiety bubbled in the pit of his stomach. He wanted nothing more than to be home with his friends, where he wasn’t being felt up by some man who was more than twice his age. Tears began to trickle down his face and he let out a soft, sniffling sob.

“Volt, leave the kid alone. Zodian will be here any minute.” Someone with a deep, gruff voice entered the room. Finral recognized it as the one that kidnapped him. 

Volt stood up and turned around. “Come on Anvil, I’m just playing with our new friend.”

“Yeah, whatever. Zodian won’t have time to deal with it.” 

Volt went back to his chair.

Finral stood up and leaned against the wall, wondering how he found his way into this mess. He knew nothing of these men except they were being watched for criminal activity. No one has actually witnessed any crimes but they are assumed to be connected with a robbery. _Yami says they’re probably run of the mill thugs, but I have no idea how it pertains to me. Why me?..._

The guy addressed as Anvil turned his attention on the young mage. “You should consider yourself honored. Our ol’ leader doesn’t take special interest in many people, but he’s sure impressed with you.”

Finral wasn’t sure how to feel about that. He didn’t know what he could have done to earn the title of ‘impressive’ but he was sure he wanted nothing to do with it. “But… why?”

“Tch. I’ll just let him explain it himself. Personally I think you’ll just be a nuisance. I don’t like the idea of having to keep track of a naive brat. You’ll just screw things up.” He hardened his steel gray eyes. “But he wants to see ya, so you better be on your best behavior, got it?”

The young man nodded. He doubted he could escape right now if he tried, so he might as well comply. It would be easier that way. 

Several minutes passed and there was a knock at the door. It opened and a third man stepped in. _This must be their leader._ He actually saw him for the first time, earlier his dark robe had hidden away all of his defining features. He was of average build. His face was gentle, rounded with an angled jaw bone. He had silvery hair that was tied in a short braid down his back. Then he noticed the eyes. Those eyes. They were deep, mesmerizing. Finral felt his breath catch in his throat. There were shades of indigo layered on top of each other, mixing with flecks of rich violet. He saw a certain type of intelligence there. It was confident and unwavering. It was _unnerving._

The man walked over to Finral, looking him over. “Ah, I’ve been looking forward to our visit. I’m glad you could make it, though I apologize for the dingy state of the room, It’s not often we have visitors.”

The boy instinctively slid a hand to his hip where his grimoire should be, then remembered it wasn’t there. _I truly am trapped here…_

“Don’t worry, we’ve kept it safe for you.” A soothing smile crossed his face, but did not reach his eyes. “I’m Zodian.” He gave a slight bow of his head. “May I ask your name?” 

Finral stared at him warily. _Should I really give them any information about me?_ The man before him was not as threatening as the other two. In fact if he didn’t know better he wouldn’t suspect him of danger. But he did know better. “No, I’m not telling you anything.”

Zodian frowned. “Are you sure?” He stared intimidatingly into the young mage’s eyes. “Please, tell me your name.” 

Finral was forced to gaze into those eyes. They were every bit as stunning as before, but this time he detected the slight flickering of mana. He found himself helplessly lost in their depths. He was entranced, his mind foggy. It was intense, but he couldn’t take his eyes away. “M...m-my name is Finral Roulacase.” 

“A pleasure to meet you Finral.” He broke eye contact, satisfied. 

The young mage came back to his senses. He was appalled. _What the heck was that?!_

“You’re special, Finral,” Zodian continued. “That spacial magic of yours would fit in with our team quite nicely. What do you say?” 

“Uhh...uhm.. I don’t know… what exactly does your team _do_ ?” _He’s INSANE if he thinks I want to join them._

“Let’s just say we deal with trading, but you’ll find out more later. Anvil, hold his arm please.” he motioned for the man behind him. 

The brawny man stepped forward and snatched the boy’s arm, pulling up his sleeve. 

“Hey! What are you doing?!” He tugged backwards in an attempt to wrench his arm free. Anvil wrapped his arm around his opposite shoulder, immobilizing him.

“Do you know what this is?” Zodian pulled a small rectangular object out of his pocket. It was faintly glowing.

Finral shook his head. 

“It’s a psych relic, crafted by master psych mages- it will allow me to connect with your mind. These relics are favored for the fact they aren't affected by distance, it will work no matter how far away you are. For that reason, it's illegal here in the Clover Kingdom, but I have my ways of finding things.” He smirked and placed the relic on Finral’s arm.

“No! I don’t want it! I don’t WANT to be with you!” His protest fell on deaf ears and Zodian muttered some sort of spell. The relic faded into his skin and Anvil let go. Finral rubbed his arm, shocked at what just happened. There was nothing he could do about it. 

Zodian left and came back a moment later with a familiar book. He thrust it into the young man’s arms. “I’ll give you your first mission soon. Now go home before your friends miss you… and if you tell anyone, they’ll have to die.” He turned and left the room. His counterparts followed, leaving Finral alone. 

He sighed and opened his grimoire. With a shaky hand he opened a portal and walked through, emerging on the other side.

He was standing outside the Black Bulls headquarters. It must have been around 2 AM. All the lights were out, surely his friends were all asleep already. 

He opened the front door and entered into the common room. He was surprised to find it was lit by the faint glow of a candle. Yami was sitting in a chair reading the newspaper, his foot tapping the floor. He looked up when he heard the door close. 

“Finral!” He put the paper down and stood up. “Where were you?” 

_Oh no.. I can’t believe he waited for me! What do I tell him?_ He had always found comfort in Yami and he would love to tell him the truth- every disturbing detail of the night’s events. But he knew that couldn’t happen, his squad’s lives, and perhaps his own, depended on it. “I.... uh. I Went into town. I was bored.. I didn’t mean to stay out so late.” He chuckled nervously. 

Yami narrowed his eyes. “Alright.” He put out his cigarette. “Just warn us next time.” He began to walk away. “Get some sleep Finral.” 

Finral let out an exasperated sound. His nerves were scattered and he was exhausted. He portaled to his room and climbed in bed, hoping he could fall asleep. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave a comment, I like seeing your thoughts and feedback:D

Someone was knocking softly at the door. Finral opened his eyes and yawned. The knock was followed up by a voice. 

“Finral?” He recognized it as Asta. He slowly sat up and winced. His waist was sore where he had been constricted the night before. He lifted his shirt and brushed a finger over the dark blotching that spanned his midsection.

“Finral? Are you awake?” The door creaked open and Asta popped his head in. 

“Yeah, I’m up.” He let go of his shirt and put his feet on the floor.

Asta came over to him. “Yami wants you to take him to some village nearby. You missed breakfast by the way. But I saved something for you.” He smiled warmly and held out a bagel.

“Thank you, how thoughtful. I must have needed the rest.” He accepted the food.

“Well I’ll let you get ready.” Asta smiled and walked away, shouting something to Luck about practicing.

Finral rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked at the bagel in his hand. He wasn’t really hungry but he knew he should eat, so he took a couple bites and threw the rest away. 

He grabbed his grimoire and went downstairs to find Yami waiting for him. 

“Well look who it is, Sleeping Beauty!” He slapped Finral playfully on the back and he had to throw out his arms in order to keep his balance. 

He really hadn’t been sleeping that long. He had laid awake for a few hours after returning home. He was unable to fall asleep, there was too much adrenaline in his veins and his mind kept returning to Zodian’s words. ‘I’ll give you your first mission soon.’ He wasn’t sure exactly when he had drifted off, it must have been soon before dawn.

“Take us to Sage Village. We need to talk to the shop owner who was robbed the other night.”

Finral nodded and did as he was told. He had only been to this village a couple times before. It was a bit down the road they had been on yesterday. It was a quiet little settlement nestled in the forest and had a cozy atmosphere.

“The place we’re looking for is a shop that sells hunting supplies,” Yami explained. “The old man filed a report claiming his equipment was stolen.”

Finral hummed in reply, he still felt sleepy. Yami glanced at him.

“So how was your night?”

“Huh?”

“You went out last night. Did you have fun?” 

“Oh… right” Finral’s stomach turned, he really didn’t want to elaborate on his lie. “I just went for a walk and stopped at the tavern for a while.”

“When did you take an interest in the bar? Last I knew, you’re not exactly a party animal,” Yami gave him an unimpressed look.

_ I don’t think he’s buying it, I hate this. _ “Is that the place?” The young man broke the conversation and pointed to a building that had taxidermied animals standing in the window.

“Looks like it. Let’s go in.” Once inside the store they approached the front counter. There was an older gentleman who looked up from his paperwork when they drew near.

“Ah, you must be the magic knights that’re suppose’ to interview me,” he stated, noting their robes.

“The name’s Yami, captain of the Black Bulls. Heard you know who our criminal is.”

“Well… I s’pose not exactly. You see. There was this real lanky fella hangin’ round the village that day. He was wearing some pretty concealing clothing, I’ve no idea what his face looked like.”

“I guess that means you don’t have a name for us?” Yami questioned. The shop owner shook his head. “Were 

you around when the theft happened?”

“No sir… I reckon that means it could’ve been anybody. But I just know it was him, had to of! He stopped in a few times an’ just browsed around.. never said a word.”

Yami rubbed his chin. “Huh. That doesn’t give us much to go by…” 

Finral tuned out of the conversation, his arm began to tingle where the relic had been inserted. Then He could hear a voice.

“ _ Finral.”  _ The sound seemed to echo and was far too close to be anyone in the room. He realized where the noise was coming from and clutched his head, a pale look on his face.

“ _ Finral, can you hear me?”  _ He recognized the voice as Zodian.

“Yes,” he squeaked out loud. Yami gave him a strange look but was too busy to question it.

“ _ There’s no need to speak aloud. Try using your thoughts.” _

_ Ok…. _

_ “Excellent. I’m assigning you your first mission tonight. Meet Anvil outside Kikka at 7:00. There’s an accessory store there that sells sapphire jewelry. They’re hot on the market right now so I need you to retrieve them for me. Anvil will help you later if you have questions. Don’t forget… I know where you are. If you try to hide, I  _ **_will_ ** _ find you.” _

_ Wait! You want me to rob a store?! _ There was no response. He shuddered.

“-inral!” Yami roughly nudged him. “FINRAL!”

The boy startled. “Huh?!... what?”

“We’re leaving, geeze did you forget your brain at home today? What’s wrong with you?” Yami walked out the door and Finral hurried to catch up.

He looked at the ground as he walked, not wanting to meet the older man’s prying eyes. “I guess I’m just tired… that’s all.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t stay out so late.” Yami sighed. “I know you’re lying about last night. You have to try harder than that if you want to hide things from me.” 

Finral’s heart sank and he rubbed the back of his neck.  _ Maybe I could… no. It’s too risky. I have to save myself this time… for their sake. _ He lifted his face to look Yami in the eye. “I don’t really want to talk about it, but don’t worry about me. Really, it’s nothing!” He plastered a fake smile on his face.  _ But can I really be strong? _

Yami contemplated for a moment. “Hm. If you say so.” He gave one last concerned glance. “Take us home, we’re done here.”

  
  


The clock was approaching 7:00. Dinner had finished and everyone had since parted ways, but Finral remained alone at the table. He laid his head on his hand and traced the wood grains with his finger. He was so scared he felt sick, he wondered if his meal would come back to haunt him. He kept looking at the clock that seemed to tick way too fast. He stalled for as long as he could, holding on to every minute.

Finally he decided he better leave, it was two minutes until the hour he had been dreading. He stood slowly, reassuring he wasn’t going to upchuck. 

With Kikka in mind he cast a spell and emerged just outside the main wall. He scanned the area and noticed a figure standing on the opposite side of the entrance, leaning against the wall.  _ That must be Anvil. _ He hesitantly crossed the clearing. The man noticed him and stood straighter.

“There you are, kid. I really thought you weren’t showing. Geez you’re pale.”

Finral observed the man that was supposed to be his new partner. ‘Huge’ was the best way to describe him. He was tall and his body was layered with bulking muscles.  _ He sort of reminds me of Yami. _ He couldn’t decide if that was a comforting thought.

The boy’s jaw went slack on its own accord and his stomach suddenly lurched. His eyes grew wide and he stared into nowhere.

“Kid? You’re not gonna pass out on me are ya? I’m leaving your ass behind if you do.”

Finral tried to keep a hold on his stomach contents. He gagged and immediately knew it was a losing battle. He turned to the wall and doubled over. He heaved a few times and retched until there was nothing left. But still he continued to heave until his stomach hurt. Finally it ended and he stood up. 

“Is that it?” Anvil asked impassively. 

The young mage nodded a slow response.

“Good, then put this on.” The older man threw a black cloak at him. “I hope it fits, that’s all I got for ya.”

_ What?! I don’t want to look like one of them!  _ “There’s no way I’m putting this on!”

“Think again,” Anvil said impatiently. “You need it to stay hidden.”

“You can’t make me! I refuse to identify myself with you, I’m a magic knight!” A massive hand clutched the front of his shirt, pulling him inches from the brutish man’s face, the other closed threateningly around his throat. 

“I don’t care what you are! You’ll put it on or I  _ WILL _ make you wear it, and believe me, you don’t want to see that, it  _ won’t  _ be pretty.” He released his grip.

Finral grudgingly slipped the cloak over his body, not wanting to experience the latter option. It fit surprisingly well and was more comfortable than it looked, but that didn’t make wearing it feel any better. Something about it made him feel awful.

“Conceal your face,” Anvil ordered as he pulled his own hood up. Finral complied and followed his partner into the town, which opened into a marketplace.

The sun was hidden behind the horizon by now, the last shreds of light throwing long shadows on the ground. The streets were empty, save for their own footsteps.

“We usually don’t take on missions around here,” Anvil’s gruff voice sounded. “The place is always crawling with guards. Getting in wouldn’t be a big problem, but getting out would. It’s difficult to get loot past the guards unnoticed.”

“So why are we here now?!” Finral wished he could just run away, but he was sure there would be consequences.  _ As if this wasn’t bad enough, they just HAD to stick me with the hard mission! _

The older man snorted in amusement. “Because we have  _ you _ , brat. That spatial magic of yours will give us a clean exit.”

“Oh, great.” Finral sighed.

“You better cooperate and do as I tell you, got it?” 

The young man nodded silently. He could just make out the serious expression on Anvil’s face under his hood.

“Good. The shop is just up the road here. We get in, we grab the sapphires, and you get us back to base… Oh, and if you encounter a guard don’t hesitate to attack. The mission could depend on it.”

Finral gulped, anxiety ripping through him. His feet felt heavier as they approached the store. He watched as Anvil deftly picked the lock and opened the door. Once they were inside, a leather bag was shoved into his chest. 

“Put anything you find in here,” the older man said before walking further in.

Finral took the bag, not intending to actually use it. He looked around at his surroundings, trying to pretend he wasn’t here to rob the place. Next to him was a rack of side bags and purses. None of them interested him. Beyond that was a display of fashionable scarves, both feminine and masculine. He approached them and shuffled through the different designs. He found one he could imagine himself wearing and considered trying it on, there was a mirror next to him after all. There was a sudden ache at the back of his head as a heavy hand smacked him.

“Quit playing around, we’re not here to play dress- up!” He threw the scarf back and turned around. Anvil was looming over him, irritated. “Follow me, I found the jewelry.”

He followed the man to the back section of the store. There were several displays of cheaper jewelry sitting in the open, but the precious stones were kept safe in a glass case. He peered in at the rows of earrings and necklaces, all of them were bearing a deep blue gem.

“Crap,” Anvil hissed, observing a small lock. “I can’t pick this, I’ll have to break the glass. He held out his hand and used his mana to produce a metallic lump. He gathered his muscles and swung at the case, striking it with the metal. The glass shattered loudly and the man reached into the newly made space. “Get over here and help me.” He scooped up a handful of jewels and shoved them in his bag.

Finral crouched down next to him. He hesitantly reached in and pulled out two necklaces. He just held them in his hand and stared at them. He was hot with guilt.  _ There’s no way I can do this! I’m not a thief!  _ He shifted uncomfortably, his hand trembling.  _ I don’t care what they say, I’m not doing this. _ He began to put the necklaces back and Anvil ripped them out of his hand with an annoyed sigh.

Just then there was a noise at the shop entrance. They stopped to listen. 

“Those might be footsteps,” the older man whispered. “You go check it out, I’m almost done here and I’ll be ready.”

Finral stood on shaking legs. Anvil gave him a shove and he moved cautiously between the displays. He rounded a corner and saw the form of a person silhouetted near the door. He glimpsed a green robe over their shoulders.  _ It’s a guy from the Green Mantis squad! Though I don’t think I know them.  _ The man stepped into the light and searched the room. Finral ducked behind a row of shelves and pressed into the shadows, hoping he wouldn’t be noticed. ‘... if you encounter a guard don’t hesitate to attack…’ the words echoed in his memory.  _ But they’re my ally… I can’t attack. What would that make me? _ He held his breath as the knight walked past him. 

“Halt! Drop that bag!” He must have found Anvil. The boy anxiously peered around the corner to watch. 

“Not a chance,” his partner replied with his grimoire out. “Resonate!” There was no evidence a spell had been cast, but still the knight dropped to the floor and covered his ears, unable to move. Anvil stooped over the man and knocked him out. Then he lifted his bag onto his shoulder and began scanning the shadows.

Finral slowly stood up and stepped into the moonlight, knowing what he was looking for.

Anvil stared at him, fury burned in his eyes. “Get us back to base,” he said coldly. 

The young mage obeyed and opened a portal for them to leave through. They came out in the dusty room from before. 

Anvil promptly seized him by his upper arms and shoved his back into the wall. “What the hell was that?!”

Finral winced. “What do you mean? I cooperated, just like you said!”

“The guard!” The man tightened his grip. “I told you to attack if you encountered one, and what do you do? You HID and let him go! You could have cost us the mission!” By now he was yelling.

The young mage shifted uncomfortably, wishing he could shrink away to nothing. “He was a magic knight, just like me! I just couldn’t… I couldn’t do it!”

“Your main loyalty should lay with us, that’s how this works, you stupid brat!” He squeezed the boy’s arms even harder.

“Stop it! You’re hurting me!” Finral whined.

There was pure rage written on Anvil’s face. “Oh, you think that hurts? I’ll give you something that hurts!” 

Finral cried out in pain as a strong fist collided with the left side of his face. He stumbled and the only thing holding him up was the older man’s grip. Anvil rammed a knee into his gut and he gasped for breath, tears blurring his vision. 

Anvil dropped his arm and he fell to the ground with a ‘ _ thud’ _ . “Maybe next time you’ll be useful.” He kicked the spatial mage in the side and prepared to deal another blow.

“I’m sorry- GUUH!” the large foot connected with his side again, pain exploding in his ribs. “I'll do better, I swear!,” Finral sobbed.  _ Just please stop… _

“You better.” Anvil grabbed the back of his clothes and lifted him to his feet. “Come on, we have to report to Zodian.” 

The young man wiped his wet face with the back of his sleeve and followed him out the door on unsteady feet. It opened up to a main room with a table in the middle, a front door at one end, and a set of stairs at the other. They turned and went up to the second floor and stopped outside a door that was ajar. Anvil knocked twice and a voice called for them to come in. 

Zodian looked pleased to see Finral trailing in. “Ah, our new recruit. I trust your first mission went well?” 

Anvil plopped the bag of stolen jewels on his desk, making a ‘ _ tink’ _ sound from inside. “As well as it could,” he grumbled. 

Their leader took a peek into the bag. “Excellent. I know just who will want these.” He looked up at Finral. “I want you to get experience with trading, so I’ll send you with Volt tomorrow morning. Be here before 10 AM?

The young mage smiled nervously in agreement. He didn’t really want to go, but ‘no’ wouldn’t be an acceptable answer.

“Great! With that being said, you are relieved of your duties for the night.” Zodian dipped his head in encouragement. 

Finral sighed with relief and teleported away to his room. He could hear his friends downstairs and briefly considered joining them. He pushed the thought away though. He was tired and he didn’t want to see them anyway, they would just ask questions of his whereabouts. He climbed into bed and sat in the dark, replaying the night in his head. He hated every detail of it. Guilt was already brewing in his gut. He waited for it to settle down and Eventually he laid down and drifted off to sleep, too tired to think


	4. Chapter 4

Finral’s eyes gently fluttered open, his mind waking up. It was around 8 in the morning and he was thankful that he hadn’t overslept. He stretched his muscles, arching his back and immediately regretted the action. A sort of tight pain flared in his chest. He slowly used his arms to push himself up, taking care not to jostle his upper body, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He gathered his clothes for the day and headed to the bathroom.

He carefully removed his nightshirt and looked in the mirror. The right side of his chest was swollen and tainted a dark purple. He lightly touched the area and winced.  _ Great, I bet I have broken ribs.  _

The young mage rifled through a cabinet used for medical supplies and pulled out a thick roll of bandages. He turned back to the mirror and wrapped it around his chest until his injured area was covered. It wasn’t much. he knew it probably wouldn’t do, but it was all he had. Then he noticed the sizable bruise on his face.  _ Oh god, how am I going to fend off questions about THAT? _

He sighed and changed into his clothes. He went downstairs, his head tilted down to hide his injury. Most of the squad was at the table eating breakfast, but he wasn’t hungry, he hadn’t been able to find his appetite for the past couple days. 

“Yo, Finral!” It was Magna. “My leg is healing up nicely. Thought you would like to know.” The spatial mage looked at him, a relieved smile on his face. “Dude.. what’s up with that nasty bruise?” 

A cold wave of panic flashed through Finral and he slapped a hand over his left cheek. “Oh… it’s… nothing.”

“Did a girl punch you?” Magna smirked. 

“No!” He was surprised by the sharpness in his own voice and more words were already falling out his mouth, the pent-up frustrations of the past days coming out in his raised voice. “Why don’t you mind your own business! Does it really matter where I got it?! You don’t need to know!” 

“Geez, chill. It was just a question.” Magna looked shocked and a little hurt. Everyone in the room fell into shocked silence.

Finral flushed hot with embarrassment as he realized what had happened and he wished he could vanish. He turned around and walked out the front door, only taking his hand off his face when he was away from probing eyes. He exhaled the breath he didn’t know he was holding, provoking a protest from his broken ribs. He sat on the porch steps, he was miserable. 

He thought of the mission he had to do with Volt today and shuddered at the idea of working with him, remembering the crazed look in the man’s eyes and the cold, bony hands searching his body. Volt scared him more than Anvil, despite the latter man’s hulking figure. He was unpredictable and freakishly strong for his scrawny form… who knew what he could do. 

It was 9:30 when Finral entered the main room of Zodian’s base. The psych mage was already at the table with Volt, who stared hungrily at the young man as he approached. He tried to ignore that fact, not wanting to think about what might be going through his head.

“Good, you’re on time. You’re already proving to be a fine addition to our team,” the leader stated.

Finral was hit with a pang of guilt at those words. Was it wrong for him to so willingly choose compliance over punishment?  _ I just don’t know…  _

“Today Volt will be taking you to a black market to sell those sapphires you got last night.” The leader stood and handed a bag over to Volt. “Best of luck,” he said with a dip of his head before returning upstairs.

Volt stood up and Finral gulped as the man made his way over to him. “Hello, deary,” he cupped the boy’s chin with his hand, lightly hovering his thumb over the mark on his cheek. 

Finral stiffened under the touch.  _ God, he’s creepy... _

“Such delicate features…” Volt murmured , running his thumb over the young mage’s lips before letting go.

Finral shivered, thoroughly disturbed.

“Follow me, we have business to do,” Volt said nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened. He made his way to the door and Finral reluctantly followed.

The town outside was unfamiliar to the spatial mage. He didn’t think he had ever been here. They made their way between buildings and slipped through an alleyway where there was a rusty, delipidated cellar door.

Volt held the door open and gestured towards a set of stairs that led into darkness. “After you, my dear.”

The boy eyed the stairs warily, everything about them screamed ‘danger.’ “I don’t know about this…” Before he could register what was happening Volt put a hand on his back and shoved. He stumbled, yelping as he unwillfully skipped the first several stairs. He landed awkwardly, his ankle twisting painfully at an unnatural angle. He stood where he was and leaned against the wall, waiting for the shooting pain to fade.

Volt snickered as he followed and rested his hand on the boy’s back again. “That was fun, want to do it again?” His slithering voice echoed in the narrow stairwell.

Finral shook his head vigorously. “No! No, I don’t.”

“Then get moving.” Volt replied in a dangerous tone.

The young mage carefully applied pressure on his injured foot, wincing at the sharp pain.  _ It hurts, but I think I can walk on it. _ He slowly made his way down the stairs, using the wall to help him balance.

Once they were at the bottom volt took the lead again. They turned a corner and the walls opened up into a large room filled with people. There were vendors lined along walkways, most of them manned by sketchy looking people. 

_ How does something like this go unnoticed by authorities? _ Finral was amazed that such a large and well organized black market was able to exist without word of it reaching the knights.

“I want to see you do it,” volt stated, shoving the bag of gems into the boy’s hands.

“What? No way! I’m not doing your dirty work, just be glad I’m here at all!” 

Anger flashed in the older man’s eyes. “That’s not how this works.” He took a hold of Finral’s wrist and proceeded to pull him along, half dragging him. 

The young mage stumbled along, unable to get proper footing. His injured ankle complained each time he landed on it. He tried to twist his wrist out of the older man’s hand, but his grip was as strong as iron and wouldn’t budge. Volt must have noticed his attempts to escape because he suddenly jerked the boy violently. Finral’s legs buckled at the sudden force and he almost fell to his knees, making him give up on his efforts.

Finally they stopped in front a vendor who was displaying various stones, minerals, and gems. Most of them He was unable to recognize. Volt shoved him forward and stood behind him, finally releasing his grip. He was met with a heavy man with a gray mustache and large glasses. 

“Oh, is this a new member of yours?” The man asked Volt. 

“Yeah, he joined recently. This is his first time selling.” He nudged Finral in the side. “Show him what you got, deary.” 

The young man hesitated, looking at the bag in his hand.  _ Should I really just… hand them over?  _ He thought, guilt reminding him of where the jewels came from.  _ Maybe… I could get them back to their rightful owner. If I can get away long enough, I’ll be able to make a portal.  _ He stepped to the side and made a break for it.

He didn’t care where he ran, as long as it was away from Volt’s reach. The older man shouted in surprise and gave chase. 

Finral pumped his legs as fast as he could without running into crowds of people, who gawked at the scene unfolding in front of them. Suddenly the air crackled and the sharp burn of electricity struck him in the back, feathering outwards. He tumbled to the floor and gasped for breath. He curled up in pain, only to be rudely reminded that his ribs were injured too, and he groaned in agony. Volt stood over him and ripped the gems out of his hand, glaring down in disgust. 

“Stay here, ’ll go sell them myself, useless brat.” He kicked the spatial mage on the way by, making him cry out. 

Finral just lay there in pain, quiet tears gathering in his eyes. His ribs throbbed, his ankle was swollen, and his back burned like fire. _I can’t even return one bag of stolen jewelry… how pathetic am I?_ Silent tears streamed down his face. _What good am I?!_ He covered his face with the crook of his arm to hide the wet streaks from curious onlookers. He choked back a sob, but lost, and it tore from his throat in a garbled mess. _How can I ever get out of this mess?_ He cried harder, his shoulders shaking. In the background, spectators murmured and his face flushed hot with embarrassment. _Stop crying, dammit!_ _You’re making it worse!_ He sucked in a shaky breath in an effort to calm down.

He was ripped from his thoughts when someone seized the back of his shirt and yanked him to his feet. “Let’s go,” Volt said as he marched the boy to the exit. They climbed the stairs to the alleyway and once they were outside, Volt pressed the young mage against the wall and glared at him dangerously.

“I’m sorry for what I did, it was stupid,” Finral said frantically in an effort to avoid further abuse. 

“If you truly meant that, you wouldn’t have done it in the first place,” the older man hissed. He latched a hand around the boy’s throat and squeezed.

Finral panicked as the crushing force closed off his airway. He tugged at the man’s grip, struggling to draw in a breath that wouldn’t come.

“If you ever try something like that again, I’ll beat you senseless.” There was venom in his voice. He kept his grip several moments longer, seeming to enjoy his victim’s struggle, before pushing him to the ground. “He liked the gems, the sale was successful. Now go home, you’re done here today.” He turned slowly and walked away. 

Finral listened to his footsteps as they faded down the alley, rubbing his throat. He coughed a couple times and carefully got to his feet, trying to mind his injuries. When he was steady he portaled away, emerging in the bathroom at home. 

He went over to the mirror from earlier and wiped the half- dried tears off his face, though he could do nothing to hide the redness around his eyes. He gingerly lifted his shirt, letting out a pained whimper as the fabric brushed over the burn on his back. He threw it on the counter and went to work undoing the bandages from his chest. The area around his ribs was still swollen and the skin was blotched a deep maroon color. Then he noticed a stall door open behind him. He turned in surprise to see Yami step out. The older man caught sight of him and froze, his eyes scanning the injuries on his body.  _ Oh… crap. There’s no way I can lie about this! _

“What the hell happened to you?” Yami asked, concern in his voice. 

Finral let go of a distressed sigh and observed the floor, not wanting to look his captain in the eye. He paused to decide if he should respond.

“Answer me Finral. I’ve been worried about you, you’ve been acting weird as hell.”

“I… was attacked,” the young man replied. 

“Well that much is obvious. By who?” The captain eyed him intently.

Finral squirmed uncomfortably. “Some sketchy guy. It was my fault really…” 

Yami placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Don’t talk like that. You’re not responsible for what someone else did to you.” 

Finral’s heart ached, he wished nothing more than to be able to confide in someone.  _ I wish I could tell him the whole truth… but I have to lie about who did it. He can’t know.  _ “I think the guy was drunk. I wasn’t watching where I was going and ran into him. He got angry and just hauled off on me.” 

“How’d you get this?” Yami hovered his hand over the bright red burn that spanned the boy’s back. There was a sort of calm anger on his face. 

“Lightning magic,” Finral admitted.

“Seriously?! He used magic on you?! If I knew where to find the bastard, I’d give him what he has coming to him.” Now the captain was ticked off.

“No, it’s ok really!” Finral wore a weak, reassuring smile.

“But it’s not ok. What if he had seriously hurt you? … But we have no real way of finding him, so we’ll just have to let him go, unfortunately.” Yami sighed and lightly brushed his fingertips over the bruised ribs and Finral flinched. “This doesn’t look so good. You need to be checked out. Put a shirt on, we’re going to see Owen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave your thoughts, suggestions, and feedback :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a really intense chapter this time, but still decent. Also, sorry if Owen isn’t accurate. All my information about him came from Wiki and other fanfics.   
> Enjoy :)

Finral sat shirtless on an examination table in Owen’s office. He had been reluctant to come here but Yami wasn’t about to take ‘no’ for an answer. He had even insisted on coming and was currently sitting in the waiting room. 

“Are you sure these are all from the same fight?” Owen squinted, intently inspecting the boy’s injuries. “Some of these bruises look older than the rest.” 

Finral tapped the table under his hands. “Heh… they could be from training, you know how Luck can get.”

“I see... These look like fairly large hand prints on your arms,” he gestured to the dark outlines on his limbs. 

“Well the man who attacked me  _ was _ large,” the young mage replied in a slightly sarcastic tone. 

Owen gave him a skeptical look. “You know, you can tell me anything, Finral. It’s a safe environment here.”

_ Good lord! Why can’t anyone just leave me alone? _ “I’m fine!” Finral snapped, immediately feeling remorseful. He hated losing his temper, though it seemed to be getting shorter lately. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t yell, you’re only trying to help.” His cheeks blushed lightly. 

“No, it’s alright. I’m sure you’re sore and in no mood to answer questions.” Owen gave him a reassuring smile. “Now let’s get you healed up!” 

It wasn’t long before they were done and Finral returned to the waiting room, Owen standing in the doorway.

Yami stood up when he saw them. “What’s the verdict?”

Owen pushed his glasses onto his face. “I was able to heal the worst of his injuries, but don’t let him do anything  _ too  _ wild for a few days just to be safe, you wouldn’t want to wear the poor boy out.” 

Yami dipped his head. “Thanks a lot for your help.” He turned to Finral. “Ready?” 

The young mage nodded and opened a portal to the common room. He was relieved to finally be home and away from chaos. 

“Finral! How was it?” Asta came bounding over, looking expectantly. 

“All good,” he replied cheerfully. “Everything is in working order!” 

“Great! Then you’ll be able to join me and Luck for a battle, Magna’s coming too! You can be on my team, what do you say?” 

Finral thought for a moment.  _ It would be nice to do something fun, I’m so stressed out. _ “Yeah, I’ll join.” He tried to head for the door but a hand plopped on his head and stopped him. 

“I don’t think so.” Yami glared at him seriously. “You heard what the doctor said, nothing strenuous.” 

The young man’s face scrunched in disappointment. “Come  _ on _ Yami! I’ll be careful, I swear!”

“As if I believe that! You’re staying here.” 

Finral sighed. He didn’t really want to just sit inside.  _ This is dumb, I feel fine! _

“We don’t have to fight,” Asta piped up, noticing his disappointment. “Luck and Magna will be fine without me, you and I can go for a walk and hang out!” The two boys looked to Yami hopefully. 

“Alright.” The captain paused to light a cigarette. “Just don’t do anything stupid.”

“YES!” Asta bounced with joy. “Race you to the trail!” He dashed out the front door.

“I’ll beat you!” Finral followed suit, a sincere smile across his face.

  
  


Sunlight filtered through the tree leaves, dappling the forest floor. The sweet scent of ferns filled the air, mingling with the smell of damp soil. The loudest sound was the soft patter of feet against the ground. Finral took a deep, relaxed breath, savoring the normalicy of his surroundings. 

“Why did you feel the need to hide it from us?” Asta asked. “No one would have judged you.” 

“I don’t know…” Finral replied. “It’s complicated… I can’t explain it. But it’s over now, we don’t have to worry about it.”

Asta hummed in understanding. They continued in silence for a few moments, then the younger boy perked up. “Hey, I know a great spot to chill out! Wanna go?” Finral nodded, and he dashed off the trail, between the trees.

Finral huffed as he tried to keep up, suddenly realizing how out of energy he was. He pressed on, his eyes fixed on Asta’s bobbing form ahead of him. They dodged trees and hopped logs until they came to the foot of a huge boulder. 

Without hesitation Asta pounced at the grey stone and clung to the side. Finral watched in amazement as the boy expertly scaled it, popping up onto the top. 

“Alright! You’re turn!” He called down. 

“Are you  _ trying  _ to kill me?” Finral bantered, looking exasperatedly at the long climb ahead of him. He stepped onto a part of the boulder that was sloped and began trudging up it. However, the slope soon vanished and he had to search for a new way up. The young mage spotted a handhold jutting out above him and jumped for it. He latched on and scrabbled helplessly with his feet for a place to stand.

There was laughter above him. “Come on Finral! Put in a little more effort!” 

“What do you think I’m doing?!” Finally his foot found a place to rest and he used it to push off to the next ledge. Eventually Finral managed to clamber up the rock and clumsily rolled onto the top. His chest scolded him with a dull ache, reminding him he should take it easy. He laid on his back, panting to catch his breath.

“This is my favorite spot around here!” Asta beamed, turning to face outwards. “I’M ON TOP OF THE WORLD!”

Finral sat up and cast his gaze out to his surroundings.  _ Wow.. From the ground I didn’t realize just how tall this rock is.  _ They were standing above most of the trees, only surpassed by the tallest ones. He was mesmerized by how the breeze ruffled the top of the forest canopy, the silvery bottoms of leaves dancing with a sea of green. He swept his focus to the side and noticed the headquarters in the distance.  _ It looks so small from here. _

“What do you think?” Asta broke his thoughts, looking at him with excited expectation. 

“It’s… absolutely beautiful.” Finral smiled widely.  _ This is so peaceful… I needed this. _ “How did you find this place?” 

Asta concentrated, searching his memories. “I don’t remember. I guess I was out exploring one day and just kinda ran into it, and of course I  _ had  _ to climb it! It was like love at first sight!” He sat down next to Finral, looking up at the clouds. “Hey, did you hear the latest news?” 

“Hm? I don’t think so.” Finral picked up a pebble and rolled it between his fingers.

“There was some jewelry stolen from a store in Kikka. I guess it was the same group of robbers you were hunting for the other day.”

Finral’s stomach dropped. “Oh… really?” He tried to keep his tone of voice flat, nervously fidgeting with the pebble in his hand.

“Yeah, a guy from the Green Mantis squad walked in on it and was attacked. He’s not hurt though.” 

_ Oh my god. I hope they didn’t notice me. _ “Did… he say how many people were there?”

“Just one. The guy knocked him out and ran. I doubt they’ll ever get their stuff back. No one knows where to look for them.”

_ I do…  _ Finral felt like he could die. He had to change the subject or else he might. “So. Uh. How’s everyone back at Hage?”

“I just heard from them yesterday, they’re doing great!” The boy kept talking but Finral didn’t hear. He was too busy calming his nerves. Eventually they both fell into silence and relaxed in the gentle scenery.

It was evening when they returned home. Finral grabbed something to eat and flopped down on the couch. His arm began to tingle and he itched it, feeling the vague lump under his skin where the relic resided.

“ _ Finral, are you listening?” _

The young mage sighed.  _ Ugh. What does he want now?! _

_ “I can  _ **_hear_ ** _ you! Show some respect for your authorities, don’t make me discipline you!” _

_ Sorry, But you ARE intruding on MY thoughts. _

Finral had finally managed to release some stress. He wasn’t in the mood for more of it.

_ “Second warning, Finral.”  _ Zodian’s voice was more hard and stern than usual.  _ “I suggest you take up a better tone of voice.” _

_ Yes… Sir.  _ Finral grudgingly decided he ought to behave himself.

_ “Good. Now, I have something to tell you. I just received word that a couple of our allies will be here soon. I would like you to join us for dinner tomorrow so I can introduce you.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave your thoughts, I love to hear them!


	6. Chapter 6

It was nearing 6 PM and the Black Bulls were sitting around for dinner after a busy day. Finral, however, had just finished a shower. He was sure Zodian would appreciate it if he looked presentable in front of their guests. 

Good lord, I’m starting to bow down to them! It struck him how absurd it was to be following orders those crooks weren’t even forcing upon him. He shook his head to clear the intrusive thought, and put on a fresh set of clothes. I know I have to do what’s expected of me, there’s no sense in playing mind games. 

The young man went downstairs to announce his departure.

“Finral! Here, have some! It’s sooo yummy!” Charmy held out a random morsel, waving it around enthusiastically. 

“No thanks, I’m not eating.” 

Charmy looked stunned. “What?! How can you say that?!” She took a huge bite out of the food in her hand.

Finral had already thought over how to explain his absence. “I’m going out for a date.” Technically I’m not lying. I do have a date, just not a romantic one. 

“How long before this one dumps you?” Venessa spoke up from the common room.

“Hey! Finral feigned a hurt expression. “I didn’t ask for your two cents!” 

“Well you’re not exactly popular with the ladies,” she replied with a smirk. 

“That’s it! I have somewhere to be.” Finral stuck his nose in the air and formed a portal. “Goodbye.” He could hear snickering as he walked through and appeared at the other base. 

The table in the center of the room was carefully set with elegant ceramic plates and ornate silverware. Who knew thieves had a sense of style.

Anvil was distributing napkins to each seat and looked up at the sound of his entrance. “Hey, kid. Glad to see you’re on time. Would’ve been ugly if you weren’t.” 

“Yeah…” Finral rubbed the back of his neck and forced a halfhearted grin. He was unsure of how to feel. It’s just dinner. There’s nothing to be worried about… right? Surely it should be a comparatively peaceful event, but he wasn’t looking forward to meeting new people. Images flashed in his mind of what they could be like. Ugly brutes, tattooed men that smelled of alcohol, blood thirsty killers? Anything could be possible in this situation. 

“Well don’t just stand there, go to the kitchen and see if they need help.” Anvil pointed to a door at the back of the room. 

The young mage crossed the floor, his boots clicking against the tiles. The door opened and Volt came out with a pitcher of water and a stack of cups. He slipped into the room before the door closed and stood awkwardly in the kitchen, unsure what to do next. 

“Ah, Finral.” Zodian looked at him with a pleased expression that he found to be oddly calming. “Our guests

Haven’t arrived?”

Finral shook his head and rubbed his throat, which was still sore from yesterday.

“I heard about the incident at the market.” His voice was impassive.

Finral’s breath caught in his throat and he gulped. “Am I… in trouble?” He tensely awaited punishment.

“Not anymore, I believe Volt handled it well.” He shifted his knowing gaze to the boy next to him. “I’m sure you learned your lesson, am I right?” His tone was cold and his eyes gleamed with piercing intensity. 

Finral’s body tensed and he struggled to find words. “I… well… It won’t happen again sir!”

“That’s a good boy.” Zodian brusquely patted the top of the young mage’s head, but the action lacked warmth. “I expect you to be on your best behavior around our friends, and be polite.”

Finral nodded his head and Zodian’s posture softened. 

“Take this out to the table.” He handed him a bowl of mashed potatoes.

The young man accepted it and returned to the dining room. He set the bowl in the center of the table and stepped back. 

Volt stood behind him and squeezed a shoulder. “Are you learning how to follow directions,” he asked smugly. He stroked the back of his hand along the boy’s neck. “We wouldn’t want to hurt that pretty little throat of yours anymore, would we?” 

Though his skin crawled, Finral kept silent, hoping the freak would just go away if he didn’t respond. 

Just then the front door opened. He turned to see two people walk in. The first appeared to be around 40. He was bald and had a caramel complexion. He had a relaxed stance but stood tall and firm.

The other was a boy around Finral’s age. He had hair that was dyed bright red and was swept over one of his honey colored eyes. He had a simple diamond stud pierced through his eyebrow. 

Zodian emerged from the kitchen with a roast and set it on the table before greeting the guests. “Welcome! It’s been a while since we last met. Please, take a seat.” He pulled out a pair of chairs near the end of the table. The older of the two moved to take a seat and his counterpart followed, looking less than enthused. 

Finral watched hesitantly as Volt sat down next to them and Anvil sat across from the bald man. Zodian motioned for him to sit next to Anvil before taking his own chair at the end of the table. The young mage obeyed, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. 

Zodian looked to the visitors. “Allow me to introduce you to our new member. This is Finral. He’s a spatial mage, something that I believe makes him valuable.” He faced the young mage and gestured to the bald man. “This is Malcolm, and his young companion is Fletcher.” 

Malcolm held out his hand to Finral, who cautiously accepted the greeting. “Nice to meet you. I hope you’re a good worker, we have a big mission ahead of us.” He gave Fletcher an expectant look. 

The young man crossed his arms and scrunched his nose. “I’m not shaking his hand, if that’s what you want.” 

Malcolm let out a tired sigh. “Remember the conversation we had earlier about being polite?”

Fletcher rolled his eyes. “It’s just a stupuid formality and I’m not conforming to it.” He reached for the mashed potatoes and slapped a gob on his plate. “He won’t die if I don’t shake his hand.” 

“Whatever Fletcher, I’m not arguing with you right now.” Malcolm looked apologetically to Finral.

“So you’re our allies?” Finral asked, swallowing a mouthful of roast beef. How exactly do they help each other? 

“Yep, have been for a long time. You see-“ he paused to take a bite of food. “We come from the Diamond Kingdom-“ 

“Whoa, what?!” You live in the DIAMOND Kingdom?!” Oh my god! That’s not okay at all! What are they doing here?! Finral couldn’t believe Zodian had the nerve to make agreements with these people.

“Yeah, that’s what he said. Got a problem with that, noob?” Fletcher stared at the spatial mage, a challenging look on his face.

“No- no! Not at all!” Finral threw his hands up in a defensive manner. “I was just surprised is all.” He smiled sheepishly.

“Tch, retard.” the other boy sneered and went back to his meal. Malcolm nudged him roughly, but was ignored.

Annoyance crept its way into Finral’s chest. Geez, What did I ever do to you? “Aren’t you pleasant…” he remarked in a stiff manner.

Fletcher narrowed his eyes in disdain. “Go sit on a cactus.” 

The spatial mage growled in frustration and balled his hands into fists. By now everyone at the table was casting sideways glances at the pair. Zodian especially looked unimpressed with the squabble.

“Oh yeah? I think that’s a hobby more suited for pricks like you.” Anvil looked at the boy next to him, an eyebrow cocked, though Finral didn’t know what the man was thinking.

“OH- HO, now you’re asking for it!” Fletcher stood up, rage pouring off him in waves. 

Finral stood as well, preparing to defend himself if need be. 

“I dare you come a little closer.” The other boy raised a fist and glared intimidatingly.

At the end of the table, Zodian’s brow tightened into a stern line and his mouth pulled back at the corners. “BOYS!” He lifted a hand, his eyes flashing with Mana.

Finral clutched his head as it suddenly began to throb with an intensity that could dwarf a migraine. He let out a pained groan and glanced at Fletcher through squinted eyes. Judging by his gritted teeth and the hand pressed to his forehead, he was experiencing the same thing.

“I will not tolerate such ill mannered behavior in my headquarters.” His voice seethed with cold anger. “Do I make myself clear?” 

Finral silently nodded, longing for the pain to cease. I feel like my skull is going to explode! The room’s light was pouring into his eyes and it felt like a knife had been wedged deep into his forehead. He squeezed his eyelids shut in order to seal out the torturous rays, but it only made a mild difference.

“Malcolm,” Zodian continued in a more serious manner. “Get your whelp under control, or I will.”

“I apologize for his behavior.” Malcolm took on a similar tone of voice. “Rest assured I’ll set him straight when we’re done here.” 

“Finral,” Zodian’s voice called. “Finral. Look at me.” 

The young man fought to open his eyes against the agonizing pain. Light seared his retinas but he managed to focus on his leader, who wore an angry expression.

“I expect better of you… If I see it again you’ll be sorry.” He lowered his hand and the pain receded as quickly as it had come. 

Finral slumped into his chair, exhausted. He rested a relieved hand on his forehead and was surprised to find moisture, he never realized he had been sweating. 

Across the table, Fletcher laid his head on the table. He looked dazed.

Everyone else simply returned to their meals as if the scene had never taken course. Once Zodian regained his composure, he addressed Finral’s prior question. 

“Yes, Malcolm and Fletcher are trusted allies of ours. We aid them in securing goods that are valuable in their country, and they do the same for us. Do not let the fact that they are here illegally get to your head, Finral. It is but a minor inconvenience.” 

The spatial mage nodded in understanding, though the information was unsettling. So now they’re smuggling valuables across borders… fantastic! I can’t believe I’m a part of this. A sickening sense of shame clogged the pit of his stomach and he pushed his plate away, suddenly losing his appetite. 

“There’s a cargo ship that’s supposed to set sail from a small harbor two mornings from now,” Malcolm added. “Fletcher and I snatched a copy of the schedule.” He unfolded a piece of paper from his pocket and set on the table for everyone to see. “The ship will be loaded tomorrow, though. Do you know what that means?” He directed the question at Finral.

I’m not sure I want to know… the boy gawked with a dimwitted expression on his face. 

“It means we have a window of opportunity,” Malcolm answered his own question. “The cargo will sit there overnight without a crew to watch it. It’s like they want us to have it!” The man grinned smugly at the idea. 

“I expect you here by 8 tomorrow evening, Finral. It will take us a couple hours to get there, so we must leave in a timely manner,” Zodian emphasized.

“Yes, sir. I’ll be here on time.” He didn’t care to find out what would happen if he was late. 

“That’s not all,” his leader continued. “We’ll be lending our strength to our friends until we get to the border, as there will be much to carry home. Make sure you won’t be missed for a couple days.” Zodian glared at him sternly. 

Finral swallowed back the lump that was already forming in his throat and nodded silently, understanding what the man was referring to. Just great… what am I going to tell Yami?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Share your thoughts!


	7. Chapter 7

It was late evening when Finral approached Yami’s door and knocked lightly. He listened as heavy footsteps sounded inside the room, steadily getting closer. The knob turned and the door creaked open, revealing the captain’s hulking figure.

Finral stared silently, twiddling his fingers as he searched for a way to begin. 

“Well?” Yami crossed his arms impatiently. “Spit it out.” 

The boy straightened his posture and cleared his throat. “Uhm.. how would you feel if I left for a few days?” He studied the man’s face for a reaction, noticing he was focused on something below his chin. 

_ What is he looking at?  _ The young mage absently rubbed his sore throat.  _ Oh… _ He was aware of the light bruising that had bloomed on his neck and tugged uncomfortably at his shirt collar. He was glad no one had questioned it, they must have assumed it was from the ‘attack’. 

“Why? Where you running off to?” The captain leaned against the doorframe, his expression unchanging. 

“Well.” Finral tapped his fingertips together, knowing what was about to come out of his mouth was a very distorted version of the truth. “My friend wants me to go on a camping trip with him. We’re leaving tomorrow.” 

Yami thought for a moment, never taking his gaze away from Finral’s. “How are you feeling?” The question was simple but the captain’s eyes spoke of something deeper than the surface. 

The boy resisted the urge to dart his eyes away. “I’ve been alright. You don’t need to worry.” 

“Your ki is changing and you keep touching your neck,” Yami pointed out. 

_ Ugggg! He just doesn’t give up!  _ Finral rolled his eyes to the side. “I guess I’m just a little shaken, nothing major. I’ll get over it.” 

“And your throat?” Yami insisted. “You didn’t tell me that happened.”

Finral was getting a little irritated at this point. “Honestly Yami, I’m fine! My neck is just sore, stop fretting over me.”

The captain sighed to himself before softening his posture. “Alright kid. You can go.” The corner of his mouth turned up in a reassuring smile. “I think it would be good for you to get out. Go have fun and clear your mind.” 

The spatial mage dipped his head. “Thank you, I appreciate it.” 

Yami grunted an acknowledgement. “Just don’t be gone for  _ too _ long. And try real hard to come back in one piece. Now go get some rest.” The captain gave the boy one last glance and stepped back into his room, closing the door behind him. 

Now standing alone in the silent hallway, Finral dropped the artificial positive attitude he had been carrying, casting his eyes sullenly at the ground. He meandered slowly down the corridor, heading nowhere in particular. 

_ I wish I was actually going on a fun trip.  _ He blissfully entertained the idea in an attempt to distract himself from reality.  _ But that’s not the truth… _ The illusion was quickly shattered, leaving Finral with nothing but a cold emptiness in his chest. Tears sprang to his eyes and threatened to spill, though he couldn’t place why. 

The boy leaned with his head against the wall as he walked. The upcoming heist was the only thing he could think of.  _ I hate it! I hate lying! I hate being dragged along on their dumb missions! _ Guilt mixed with the emptiness and a silent sob racked his body. 

His legs felt weak and he slid to the floor, unable to support himself. A tear trickled down his cheek, a harbinger for the steady stream that followed. 

The horrible feelings fought each other for dominance, swirling around in his chest and fogging his mind. The boy hung his head weakly and choked on another pained sob. He wiped at the wet streaks on his face, but it was futile. 

Finral felt like his chest might explode if he held it in any longer. He submitted and bit down on his arm to muffle a wail. The sound echoed off the nearby walls, saturated with frustration and anguish. Tears fell from his eyes with greater intensity, dripping off the edges of his face. He clutched at his arms as if to mimic some sort of desperate hug, though the action was cold coming from his own hands and provided no solace. The boy gasped for breath in between racked sobs, his pent up emotions seeming to leak out with them.

Eventually the onslaught subsided, leaving him with nothing but exhaustion. The young mage dried his eyes on his sleeve and slowly stood up. Drained and unable to think, he headed to his room for the night.

  
  


Finral watched the horizon as he sat on his broom, marveling at how the massive shadows of land gently unrolled into the vast expanse of the sea. Even in the darkness of night the water looked like a giant sheet of glass pressed against the sky, an endless mirror glittering in slivers of moonlight. Below him the town was dark, save for a few lanterns that glowed dimly alongside major roadways. Not a single soul walked the streets, however, indicating the town was asleep.  _ Makes sense. It must be close to midnight by now. _

“Ah! Smell the ocean!” Fletcher stood on his broom, arms spread wide to catch the salty breeze. He appeared to be in a better mood than the night before, though he still looked at Finral with derision.

“There’s our ship.” Malcolm pointed to a large dock that jutted out into the waves. Next to it was the dark outline of a long, flat ship standing vigilantly. 

“We’ll land on that road beside the dock,” Zodian said. “We should be able to find some sort of wagon there.” The leader angled down to their designated area and his small fleet followed, landing on the stoney bricks of the street below. 

Now on the ground, Finral got a closer perspective of their target. It was smaller than most cargo ships he had seen, but it held what seemed like thousands of wooden crates neatly organized in rows. As a whole, the ship looked well worn, it’s paint weathered down by wind and brine. Patches of rust showed through places where the color had chipped away and the occasional barnacle stuck to it’s hull. In general, Finral thought the vessel gave off an eerie vibe, it’s lonely silhouette looming over the dark water. He shrugged it off as he realized his teammates were on the move and hurried to catch up with them. 

The dimly lit road they walked along was wide, designed for flocks of people to bustle about with carts full of goods. Finral imagined what this now empty street would look like when a new ship pulled into the pier. 

“Look what I found!” Fletcher’s voice came from the opposite side of the path. He pushed a hand wagon in front him, running several paces before hopping inside of it. “WOOOOOO!” He zoomed past the group, hands above his head and head tilted high. 

Malcolm clutched a frustrated hand on the side of his bald head. “Fletcher!” He hollered. “Don’t break that! We need it!” 

“I’m not!” The young man called back in a high pitch. “Geez! Learn to have some fun!” He got out of the cart and sulked his way back. 

“I swear I’m gonna throttle him one of these days,” Malcolm muttered under his breath. 

Anvil chuckled next to him. “I know what ya mean,” he cast a glance over his shoulder at Finral. 

“Hey!” The spatial mage squaked. “I behave myself!” 

“Oh really? You’ve forgotten your little stunt already?” Volt hissed, eyeing the boy with a familiar chilling demeanor. 

Finral looked away, no longer wanting a part in the conversation. His eyes rested on another wagon, slightly larger than Fletcher’s, sitting next to a nearby building. “There’s one!” He bounded over to it and grabbed it’s handles, pushing it back to the group. 

“Excellent!” Zodian praised. “That should be all we need. Let’s return to the ship.” 

The squad retraced their steps to the dock. Finral let go of the wagon, grateful to be relieved of its weight. 

Malcom took a sheet of paper out of his pocket and studied it, stroking his chin. “By the looks of it, all the goods we’re interested in are in the back four rows of the ship. Grab any food and textiles you can find. Zodian and I will stay here to load the wagons and keep watch. Suit up!”

Finral watched hesitantly as the others slipped on their dark cloaks. Of course he had brought his along, but he hated the thing with a passion and dreaded putting it on.  _ What would happen if I said I forgot it?  _

“Finral.” Anvil gave him a look of warning. “I’m not in the mood to have this conversation with you, put it on.” 

“I don’t know if I brought mine,” he shrugged, trying to look as innocent as possible.

Anvil was anything but amused. “Are kidding me?!” He seized the boy by the front of the shirt, at which point Fletcher giggled arrogantly. “You better pray you have it,” the older man growled, releasing his grip. 

_ Perhaps that was a bad idea… idiot.  _ Finral slipped off the backpack he had brought and rummaged through it, reluctantly pulling out his cloak that was folded at the bottom.

“Imagine that, there it is!” Anvil mocked a surprised expression. “Now put it on and get us onto the ship.”

Finral grudgingly slipped the garment on and concentrated on opening a portal, focused on a walkway he could see in between the crates. He opened his hand and the space in front of him rippled before giving way to a vortex, its twin appearing exactly where he intended. 

Anvil gave the boy a satisfied slap on the back and led the way through the opening. 

Fletcher stared at the swirling creation in front of him, awe written across his face. Though, he was quick to reject his amazement and replaced it with his usual cool attitude as he crossed through. 

Finral was the last to emerge, sealing the space off behind him. Now that he was actually on the boat, the reality of what he was about to do hit him and his stomach turned. He gazed numbly over the endless ocean, imagining he wasn’t really here. 

“Uh- oh, I know that look.” Anvil eyed him from under his cowl. “If you have to hurl, do it over the edge, I don’t want to see it this time.” 

“I’m fine,” he replied simply.

“Alright.” Anvil stroked his graying beard as he thought. “Volt and I can start at the back row, you two go four rows ahead of us. We’ll work our way inwards.”

“I don’t want to work with  _ him _ !” Fletcher protested.

“I don’t care. Get over it.” The brawny man was already disappearing among the stacks of crates, Volt at his side.

“Why do you hate me so much?” Finral tossed his hands in an irritated gesture. 

The other boy turned away. “I never said I hate you.” 

“Well you sure act like it!” 

Fletcher huffed. “Gosh you’re annoying.” He began to walk away, beckoning for Finral to follow. “Let’s just go do our job.”

They made their way down the center isle, the floor beneath their feet bobbing rhythmically to the ocean waves. They stopped at the fourth to last row and Fletcher immediately ripped the lid off a crate, inspecting its contents.

“Only take the good stuff, or at least what looks good,” he said as he laid out stacks of colorful fabric, a spool of twine bedside him to bind it with. 

Finral meandered to the end of the row, unsure where to start. He placed his hands on the railing and leaned over the edge of the ship, watching the water slosh against the side of its hull. A few rows down, Volt hurled a couple bags stuffed with who knows what over the edge. They flew through the air towards the dock and Malcolm caught them, bringing them to the wagons to be loaded.  _ At this rate we’ll be here forever! I just want it to be over with as soon as possible… _ he stared down at his hands and something occurred to him.

“Hey, I have a better idea,” he said to Fletcher, who was coming to toss his bundle to the ground. “This will move a lot faster if I use my magic to give them the entire crates.” 

“Huh.” His teammate ripped open his next box. “Not a bad idea for a dweeb.” 

The spatial mage chose to ignore the insult attached to the end of his complement and looked into the crate. It was full of what appeared to be silk.  _ This has to be expensive. _ It felt wrong, but he transported the entire container to the dock below almost effortlessly. 

With this new method they were moving on to the next row in a little over half an hour. Finral was opening a new box when his arm tingled. 

_ “There appears to be a crewman coming your way, be careful.”  _

The young man stiffened, alarmed by the news. “Uh… Fletcher?” 

“Hm.” His counterpart sounded disinterested. 

“There’s someone coming.” Finral kept his voice low.

Fletcher slapped a hand over his face and grimaced. “Of course things couldn’t go smoothly, why would they?” His tone dripped with sarcasm. “Well, let’s just take ‘em out. You go down the middle, I’ll take the side.” The boy unsheathed a saber he kept in a scabbard on his back, and disappeared into the shadows. 

Finral gulped and crept down the center walkway, peering around every corner he found. Suddenly there was a heavy hand on his shoulder and he froze. 

“Who are you and what are you doing here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feel free to leave your thoughts. Also, is there anything you want to see more of? Like angst? Hurt? Comfort? Ect.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter is a little scattered, it’s hard to make travel interesting.

The hand on Finral’s shoulder tightened its grip, wordlessly conveying that escape wasn’t an option. He cautiously turned his head to see who was behind him. 

A sturdy man scowled back at him with fearless eyes that told of years surfing the rough oceans. He was old, his skin creased and leathery from countless days in the bright sun, though he wasn’t the slightest bit feeble. His thinning hair was grey and his facial hair was wiry, cut into mutton chops. Undoubtedly this man must be the ship’s captain.

“I’m waitin’ for a response,” he said in a demanding tone. “Who the hell are ya?!” 

Finral frantically searched his mind for a possible response, but his thoughts scattered like sheep in his panicked state.  _ WHAT DO I DO?! _

“So that’s how it’s gonna be, eh?” The old man took his free hand and seized the boy’s hood, yanking it off of his head.

Finral sat as the moon highlighted his face, his secrecy now exposed. The knots in his stomach urged him to do something- anything, but his limbs played dead, locking in place like stone. All he could do was stare wide eyed.

The sailor leaned back, sizing up the intruder before him. “Just a filthy delinquent.” He practically spat the words. “Have you been nosing about my cargo?” He brought his face closer to stare the boy down. 

Finral pressed his lips together, chewing on the insides of them.  _ What am I supposed to say?...  _ He shrugged awkwardly, torn between a lie and the truth. 

The old man slanted his eyes intimidatingly. “Tell me son, do you think it’s funny to trespass? Is this how you get entertainment?”

The young man shook his head. “N- no, sir! Not at all!”  _ No, they made me come here! I couldn’t refuse!  _

The sailor took him by the ear, tugging painfully. “You’re gonna come with me and learn a valuable lesson!” The old man stomped up the aisle towards the living quarters. 

Finral staggered along behind him, his head yanked down at an awkward angle. His whole ear stung and he felt like the man might carelessly pull it off. “I’m sorry, please just let me go,” he begged.  _ There’s no way I want to go in there with this guy!  _ “I swear I won’t cause you any more trouble!” 

The sailor chuckled. “Obviously you don’t know proper morals. How will ya ever learn without punishment? If I set you free, you’ll get off thinkin’ this is acceptable behavior and do it again somewhere else.”

Finral saw something move from the corner of his eye and Fletcher leaped out from behind a large crate, both hands on his sabor. He landed beside the sailor and whacked him upside the head with the flat of his sword. The man crumpled unconsciously to the ground with a  _ thud _ . 

“What the hell, Finral!” Fletcher turned his attention to the other boy, who was now rubbing his ear. “What would you’ve done if I wasn’t here?! Were you just gonna let him take you? What happened to all that skillful magic Zodian says you have! Why didn’t you fight back, you retard!” 

“I… don’t know any attack spells.” The spatial mage shuffled his feet awkwardly.

Fletcher’s face lit up with amusement. “Seriously? You really  _ are _ the biggest loser I’ve ever seen!” He laughed. 

Finral clenched his fists “I’d watch what you say about me,” he tried his best to appear threatening , though it wasn’t his strong suit. “I’m a magic knight you know, I could have you turned in!” 

Fletcher blanked for a moment as if he were analyzing what the spatial mage had said, then a wide smile cracked across his face and he burst into hysterical laughter. “That’s even more pathetic! You’re a soldier that can’t fight!” He paused to suck in a cackling breath. “And aren’t you supposed to be upholding the law? Yet you’ve joined a gang of criminals, you must be the WORST knight ever!” 

_ He’s… right.  _ Finral’s heart sank and he stared blankly as the other boy continued to giggle.  _ I’m a terrible knight. _

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps jogging down the aisle. 

“What the hell’s going on up here? You’re making an awful racket!” Anvil reached the pair and noticed the unconscious sailor at their feet. “Well, shit.” He knelt down and placed two fingers on the side of the man’s neck, just to be certain. “Did he see either of you?” His serious expression was just visible under his deep hood. 

“Yeah, thanks to Finral,” Fletcher replied.

“He came up behind me!” The young man threw his hands out to the side, sufficiently annoyed. “I had no idea he was there!” 

Anvil thumped both of them behind the head. “Quit bickering! We don’t have time for it… stupid kids.” He crossed his arms and shoved his tongue in his cheek as he studied the situation. He sighed after a long moment of silence and made a decision. “We can’t risk this guy waking up and discovering the rest of us. If we leave now he won’t have enough information to piece it all together.” He turned, facing the back of the deck and signaled for the other two to follow. 

Their combined footsteps clunked against the metal surface as they maneuvered around the remaining crates to where Volt was waiting.

“What did those rats do?” The scrawny man seethed. Anvil took him out of earshot and explained the situation to him. 

Finral watched, wondering how well the other would handle the news. Volt glared in his direction, anger burning in his eyes. Was he looking directly at the spatial mage?  _ No, I must be imagining it. There’s two of us over here.  _ Logic did nothing to prevent the chill that went up his spine and he was suddenly very glad there were others around.

Anvil picked up a few packages he had filled earlier and shoved one into each of the boys’ arms, left with one for himself. “Get us back to the ground,” he grumbled. 

Finral obeyed and opened a set of portals. Malcolm saw the group emerge and a disappointed expression crossed his face. He glanced over at the wagons. The first had been completely stacked, but the second was only half full. “Went south?” 

Anvil nodded silently in response. “Well I guess this will have to do,” Malcolm shrugged. 

“We best leave now,” Zodian stated, his confident posture was as unwavering as usual and his expression was unreadable. “We can’t stop to rest. We’ll travel through the night.” The leader pushed his cart into motion and the others followed, silently exiting the town with their loot. 

  
  


It was nearing evening as the gang plodded along a desolate road, the wagon wheels clacking over dirt and stones. The land here was vivid and fairly flat. The grass grew tall, undisturbed, and wildflowers broke up the monotony of green.

“Why can’t we just make Spatial Dweeb take us to the border? It would be SO much easier,” Fletcher complained from where he trudged alongside Malcolm. His feet dragged wearily along the ground with each step he took. 

“Because we’d be there way too early,” Malcolm replied. “The others won’t be there to meet us until tomorrow afternoon and we can’t sit out in the open the whole time. And I know you would complain a lot more if you had to stay in one spot all day.”

Fletcher crossed his arms and kicked a rock that was in his path. “Well, can we at least stop now?” They had traveled all day, only stopping once to rest at dawn while Zodian kept watch. 

Finral hadn’t been able to sleep much then, the morning sun keeping him awake. Now, he had just finished his turn pushing the wagon and was exhausted.  _ For once I agree with that jerk.  _

“I suppose we’ve made it far enough for one day,” Zodian concluded. “There appears to be a decent area to rest over there.” He pointed to a cluster of trees not far from the road. They would be able to hide the wagons in the shade. 

“FINALLY!” Fletcher rushed past everyone and dove for the clearing nestled beside the trees. He laid face down in the grass, arms and legs splayed out in an X. 

_ Drama queen.  _ Finral wearily dragged himself to the flat and sat down, tossing his backpack to the side. His legs burned with relief and his muscles threatened to cramp from the sudden alleviation. He massaged his limbs as he took in their campsite. 

Volt and Zodian pushed their wagons deep into the shadows of the wide ring of trees encompassing the area. The grass here was shorter than out in the open.  _ Probably gets less light. _ A grasshopper leaped away from his hands as he wove his fingers into the greenery beneath him. The sun slanted against the horizon, bathing everything in an orange hue. 

Anvil meandered to the opposite side of the clearing and leaned against an old stump. 

Malcom followed not long after and approached his younger companion, who was blissfully sprawled across the ground, and plopped a few pieces of fire wood at his feet. “You need to start a fire for us before you rest. It’ll be dark soon.”

Fletcher groaned reluctantly and rolled onto his side.”

“Don’t ignore me!” He placed his hands under both of the young man’s arms and yanked him into a sitting position, his head lolling back lazily. 

“Fine!” He lifted his head, red hair standing up in the back. He sat in a sulking manor and Malcom let go of his arms. 

The boy picked up the wood and arranged it in a pile. He concentrated and snapped his fingers expectantly, but nothing happened. He furrowed his brow and clenched his fingers, flicking them open to expose his palm. Again nothing happened. He growled with frustration.

Finral watched as the other boy desperately slapped a hand on his grimoire, as if he could somehow extract mana from its pages. He thrust his other hand forward, a powerful gesture that yielded no response. 

“Just relax,” Finral advised. “Clear your mind and focus on your mana.”

Fletcher wordlessly hesitated, but eventually his muscles untensed and his posture became more composed. Closing his eyes, he held out a hand, palm upright. Within moments a small flame flickered to life, its warm glow hovering over the center of his hand. Fletcher reached his arm out and set his flame on the logs, making them crackle into a blazing fire. 

Finral admired the work and Fletcher mumbled something, his back turned. The spatial mage was surprised and thought it was the work of his imagination, but he heard a barely audible “Thank you.” 

  
  
  


It was dark, the clearing dimly illuminated by the moon overhead. Finral sat up from his sleeping bag, woken by his full bladder. He stood and threw a quick glance around the clearing. Everyone else was still asleep and everything appeared to be in order. Satisfied, he ventured away from the group and made his way into the trees, seeking privacy behind a thick trunk. He undid his pants and the snap of branches sounded from somewhere nearby. Finral glanced around nervously, but didn’t see anything suspicious. Still on edge, he relieved himself as quickly as he could, pulling up his pants when he was finished. 

The young man turned to leave but was blocked by a tall, shadowy figure. He let out a startled noise and took a step back, bumping into the tree behind him. 

The looming shape came forward, revealing itself to be Volt. He stood stiffly, an intense expression on his face. 

“Oh… hey.” Finral smiled awkwardly and wrung a hand around his wrist.  _ Was he watching me! _ “W- what are you doing here?” 

“I couldn’t sleep.” His eyes raked hungrily up and down the boy’s body. “I saw you get up and came to check on you, deary. I just wanted to make sure you were alright…” His chilling voice was thick with false concern. The man took another step closer, bringing him dangerously close. “Now that we’re both awake, why don’t we play for a while?” 

Finral’s stomach tied in knots. “I don’t think so. I’m going back to bed.” He moved to go around the older man, who seized him by both arms and pushed him back against the tree. “Hey! What are you doing?!” 

“You can stay for a while, it’s not that late.” Volt cracked a depraved grin and forced his victim to the ground, straddling him. 

“Let me go,” Finral whined, trying to squirm away.  _ How did I get in this situation?”  _

Volt tightened his hold on the wriggling boy underneath him, pressing his knees against his sides. 

Finral whimpered softly, defeated and unable to move. Cold, scrawny hands began to roam his body, snaking up his shirt to grab at his chest and squeeze his torso.

“Stop!” The young man complained pleadingly. He was ignored and Volt traced his hand down a hip and rested it on his thigh. 

Finral thrashed in an attempt to buck the older man off of him, which earned him a hard blow to the sternum. He arched his back in pain. 

Volt shoved him back down roughly. “You don’t want to leave yet,” he hissed. “We’re just getting started.” He dealt another blow to the chest.

Finral cried out in pain and did his best turn his midsection away, though it was of little use. The older man giggled menacingly and dug his long nails into the soft skin of the boy’s waist, slowly raking them inwards towards his stomach. The young mage let go of a distressed scream. 

Volt reached for his face and cupped a hand over his mouth. “Shhhhh! We wouldn’t want to wake the others, would we?” His toothy grin widened, appearing almost animalistic. He squeezed the young man’s nose shut between two knuckles and clamped his jaw shut with the heel of his palm.

Terror pulsed through Finral’s veins. He jerked his head from side to side, but his assailant held fast.  _ SOMEONE HELP ME! _ His lungs screamed for air and his chest heaved violently in a futile attempt to draw a breath in. Tears pricked behind his eyes as his strength slowly leached out of his limbs and he felt woozy.  _ Am I going to die here? _ Suddenly, the vice was removed from his face and new air rushed into his body in a sharp gasp. The spatial mage sputtered as the tightness in his chest eased. 

With a chuckle Volt sealed the boy’s airways shut for a second round. Dread settled into Finral’s stomach when he realized what he was in for.  _ I have to get away! _ With a forceful tug he managed to wrench his arm free and reached for his attacker’s face. He scratched desperately for the other’s eye, but the older man simply leaned away from his reach. 

Seeing a new target, Volt released the young man’s mouth and snatched the outstretched hand. “You shouldn’t have tried that.” He grabbed hold of the first two fingers and yanked them backwards. Finral shrieked as the ligaments hyperextended. A tear trickled down his cheek.

_ I wish I had just stayed home. _ Home. The warm thought flooded his mind, an image of his friends flashing in his head. Did they miss him?

He became aware of his surroundings once again when the older mage wiped the wet streak off his face. With a violent snap, the boy turned his head and clenched his teeth onto the side of the cold hand. 

Volt hissed in pain, his face contorting into a furious scowl. “Dumb brat!” He ripped his hand free from Finral’s bite and gripped both sides of his jaw viciously. “You’re gonna pay for that!” In one swift movement he jerked his jaw to the side.

There was a  _ pop _ before a sharp pain erupted in the side of Finral’s face. He wailed in agony, which only aggravated the injury. Volt raised his hand and hesitated as if he were plotting his next move. The boy clenched his eyes shut and whimpered helplessly, utterly afraid of what this monster might do next.

But the attack never came. Suddenly the weight was lifted off his body and he pried his eyes open in time to see Anvil toss the scrawny man to the ground. 

“What the hell do ya think you’re doing?!” The larger man screamed at his teammate. 

Volt scowled and bared his teeth. “This isn’t any of your business!” He hissed. 

“He’s one of us now, you fool! Plus, Zodian values his abilities, he would have your hide if you mess him up! Is that what you want?” He stood protectively in front of Finral. 

The lightning mage stood up and glared defeatedly. “Fine. I’ll leave.” Still seething with anger, he turned and disappeared amongst the trees. 

Anvil turned to face the young man behind him, softening his stance. “Hey, Kid.” He used the most soothing tone he could muster, which was difficult with his naturally gruff voice. “You alright?”

Finral pushed himself into a sitting position. His entire body trembled with relief. A mix of emotions surged through his veins. Left over fear, relief, pain. They all overwhelmed him and moisture sprung to his eyes. He sucked in a shuddering breath, biting his lip.  _ I don’t want to cry… _ He took another hiccuping gasp and tears began to roll down his cheeks. 

“Oh… Finral…” Anvil knelt next to the boy and wrapped him in a firm embrace. 

The young mage was shocked. He hadn’t imagined this man to have a soft side, it almost reminded him of captain Yami. Confused on how to feel about this revelation, he accepted the hug, though somewhat rigidly. A choked sob escaped his throat and he buried his face into the man’s shoulder, tears soaking into his shirt. A large hand rested warmly on the back of his head and patted soothingly. 

“I was afraid this would happen,” the older man said. “That bastard’s nothing but a sadistic psychopath.” His tone took on a controlled anger. “I know how he is and I’ve been watching him. He looks at you like you’re a chew toy and it makes me sick. You shouldn’t treat teammates like that.” He hugged Finral a little tighter. “Especially not someone so young and innocent,” he murmured almost too quietly to hear. 

Finral sniffled his last few tears away and lifted his head. “Thank you,” he croaked.

Anvil stood up and helped the spatial mage to his feet. “I think it’s time we get some sleep.” He led the way back to the campsite. Everyone else was still asleep and Volt was nowhere to be found. The older man picked up Finral’s empty sleeping bag, which had been isolated from the others, and spread it out next to his own. “Try to get some shut eye, Kid.” He laid down and rolled on his side. 

Finral climbed into his own sleeping bag, surprisingly comforted by the husky man’s presence. He closed his eyes.  _ Just maybe I’ll be able to fall back asleep. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think :D


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! I’ve been busy, but I finally got the next chapter out! Thank you to all my readers who have been waiting patiently!

The sun was high in the sky when the gang neared the border, the craggy plateaus of the Diamond Kingdom piercing the blue horizon. 

Finral gazed up at them, relieved that the grueling trip was almost over. Oblivious to the rest of his surroundings, he stumbled over a large rock. The jarring impact made him clench his jaw and he grimaced in pain. One side of his jaw was swollen when he woke up this morning from the night before. It hurt to close his mouth all the way, and he occasionally found himself drooling because of it. 

“There’s a rock there, moron,” Fletcher sneered. 

“I know,” Finral replied shortly.  _ I’m glad we’re getting rid of him too, he’s really getting on my nerves.  _

“Can’t you be nice for just a little longer? We’re almost home.” Malcom sighed. 

“I didn’t say anything bad!” Fletcher objected, rolling his eyes. 

“Don’t be so disrespectful…. I don’t have to bring you along next time.”

The young man grumbled but held his tongue, plodding along in simmering silence. 

Travel was proving to be difficult today. The land sloped in a continuous upwards crawl and outcrops of stone jutted out of the gravelly soil, making it difficult to maneuver. Eventually the gang reached a tall cliff, stopping at a spot where the jagged surfaces met each other in a giant indent. 

Finral gawked at the massive wall of stone. was this the right place? “How do you expect to cross the border here?”

“Simple,” Malcolm smiled knowingly and laid his hand against the cliff face. Except his hand did not come to rest on the surface, instead passing straight through.

_ Am I going nuts?! There’s no way I’m seeing this right!  _ The spatial mage watched, bewildered, as Malcolm continued to walk through the wall and disappeared from view.  _ Is this real? _ He reached out a hand gingerly and touched the wall, half expecting to feel the gritty texture of stone under his fingers. But his hand collided with nothing, his whole arm now submerged only in cool air, despite the illusion in front of his eyes. Finral stepped the rest of the way through the wall, emerging into an expansive tunnel. It was wide enough to comfortably fit a crowd of people and was lit by floating lanterns, whose blue flames radiated with mana and bathed the tunnel in a soft glow.

“This passage leads straight to the other side of the cliff, where the Diamond Kingdom begins,” Malcolm explained while the others crossed through. “The entrances are protected with magic to keep this place out of common knowledge.” 

Finral swept his gaze around the tunnel in wonder. The walls were high, steadily arching as they climbed, their point of convergence disappearing into deep shadows. The floor was well worn from countless sets of feet, the sandy floor packed down in the center, shallow divots hinting at the recent passing of travelers.  _ Just how often is this place used? _ He was utterly stunned at the existence of a place where enemies could freely pass onto foreign land with ease. The notion that this was a common occurrence gave him chills.  _ There’s an endless list of shady things that could happen here! _

Malcolm led the group forward, their footsteps echoing softly off the stone. “Watch for thieves. They like to lurk around here.”

“And what do you call yourself?!” Finral couldn’t help but notice the irony in the older man’s statement.

“Fletcher and I would be considered pirates.”

“What’s the difference?!” Finral asked with an exasperated tone. 

“There’s a huge difference!” Fletcher rolled his eyes. “We’re not criminals! Were you even educated? … Ahh!” He winced as Malcolm dealt him a backhanded slap to the cheek, a scornful look in his expression. 

“I know I taught you manners! Use them!” The bald man turned his focus on Finral, his hard expression melting away. “He’s right, we don’t participate in criminal activity. We only take from other countries. It’s legal… our king even encourages it. It’s one of the highest paying jobs a commoner in the Diamond Kingdom can have… albeit dangerous.” 

“But you’re willing to work with us. We’re criminals.” Finral pondered the odd relationship at play.

“Your laws have nothing to do with us, and you’re the one offering to help us. It’s not our fault you commit treason!” Fletcher snorted in amusement. 

_ Treason… _ the word pounded Finral in the chest like a ton of bricks, and shame washed over him like a stifling blanket. He had never thought of it like that before, but…  _ that’s exactly what I am. A traitor.  _ The thought was repulsive.  _ I don’t deserve to be a knight after what I’ve done.  _ His heart ached. He was disgusted with himself for failing to uphold the honor bestowed upon a magic knight.  _ I’m supposed to be trustworthy…  _

“Ey, Kid! Quit lagging behind or we’ll leave your ass here!” 

Finral broke away from his thoughts as Anvil hollered from up ahead. He hadn’t realized he had stopped walking and was now separated from the group. With a shake of his head he began to move again, taking several paces forward, only to be met with a hand lunging out from a shadowy recess along the stone wall. It latched itself onto the backpack Finral carried, pulling him backwards. 

The young man yelped in surprise, trying to make sense of the tugging at his back. He craned his neck around to see a man step out of the crevice, his gaze fixated on the bag.

“That sure is a heavy load you and your friends have. You must be carrying something good!” He yanked one strap off Finral’s shoulder. 

The spatial mage grabbed onto the other strap just in time for it to slide off his arm. He tightened his grip on the strap with one hand, and latched on to the bag’s side with the other. He gritted his teeth, ignoring a complaint from his jaw, and yanked backwards with all his strength, but the thief remained attached at the other end. 

The man slanted his eyes in determination and jerked his end to the side. The force made Finral stagger and he lost his balance, falling to one knee. Still, he managed to keep his grasp and clenched his fingers tighter around the fabric, a low growl emanating from his throat.  _ I’m NOT letting go! _ Perhaps he was being stubborn, he would have let go had this been one of the bags from the ship. But this was  _ his _ , and he refused to lose it. 

Somewhere in the background, alarm was raised among his companions. “Just let go! It’s not worth a fight!” Malcolm called with a note of concern. 

“I’ll show that bastard who he’s messing with,” Anvil snarled, grimoire at the ready and mana flaring. 

Zodian held out an arm, his sharp eyes judging the scene before them. “No… I want to see how the boy handles himself.” 

_ Real nice of them to help me… _ There was a blur of motion at the edge of his vision and a foot collided with the side of his head. A deafening ring drowned out the rest of Finral’s surroundings and specks of white light danced in front of him. His head lolled to the side and saliva began to collect at the corner of his mouth. 

The thief seized the opportunity and the fabric slipped out from between the young mage’s fingers. 

Lifting his head, Finral fought to drag his fuzzy mind back into focus, washing away the stars and silencing the ring. 

A renewed sense of determination sparked in his belly and he lunged for the man’s leg, wrapping his arms around the sturdy limb. 

“Grrr, stupid brat! So that’s how you want to play? Just remember this was  _ your _ choice!” 

A roughened fist closed around Finral’s shirt and all prior confidence melted away, as if he were waking up from a dream and finally getting a clear glimpse of reality.  _ I should have just backed down! What have I gotten myself into!  _ There was no way he could defend himself now. Mounting horror stuck in his throat as the man dug into his pocket and pulled out a long, thin blade. Forgetting about his belongings, he wriggled in the man’s grasp wanting only to retreat. Cold metal rested against his throat. His eyes grew wide and he sat still as stone.  _ I’ll stop fighting… maybe he’ll let me go.  _ The blade’s sharp edge pressed into his skin enough to make Finral think it would puncture. His heart thudded in his chest and he fought to swallow against his constricting throat… then there was a familiar voice, sturdy and smooth. 

“Psych magic- Mystic Arrow!” Zodian placed two fingers on his forehead, demeanor calm

as ever, and pointed with another pair of digits on his opposite hand. Soft purple light stemmed from his outstretched fingers, coming to a sharp point. He made a flicking motion and the small arrow bolted away, striking the thief’s hand. 

The man howled and the knife fell from his bloodied hand. He gapped at Zodian with a calculating look in his eye. Seeming to come to a decision, he dropped both Finral and his belongings. He backed up several paces before turning tail and fleeing down the tunnel, distant shadows enveloping him. 

Finral landed on his knees, arms trembling with adrenaline. His gaze drifted to the knife lying next to him.  _ A few inches off and Zodian could have killed me… but he had perfect accuracy.  _

Anvil came to his side and collected the backpack from the sandy floor, brushing it off with a massive paw. He placed another hand on the young man’s back. 

“Take a deep breath, you’re alright.” He scooped his arm under Finral’s torso and hoisted him to his feet, shoving the bag at him.

Finral accepted it and slung it over his shoulder. There was a cooling sensation running through his veins as his nerves began to settle down. He drew in a steady breath and made his way forward to rejoin the gang, who were also preparing to continue.

Zodian cast a sideways glance at the spatial as they walked. “You must learn to defend yourself, Finral.” He returned his attention forward and quickened his pace to take up his spot at the head of the group, next to Malcolm.

The pathway climbed steadily upward, inclining ever more steeply as they went.  _ I’m glad I’m not on wagon duty. _ Finral huffed, unable to get enough oxygen despite his full lungs. His legs burned and threatened to give out as he trudged uphill. He wondered how he would ever make it to the top, being at the back he had no idea how much further this hill went. He briefly considered giving up and playing dead to give himself time to breath.  _ Who cares if they move on without me, I know how to get home.  _

He pressed on and was pleased when the ground finally evened out, natural light spilling in through a gaping hole, marking the end of their journey. 

Malcolm looked over his shoulder, Fletcher at his side. “Well, friends… this is where we part ways.” He flashed them a warm grin. “I can’t tell you how thankful I am for your help. We’ll return the favor when we can.”

Zodian dipped his head in acknowledgment. “I do not doubt you. You’ve always proven yourself to be a man of your word. I bid you safe travel from here on out.” 

Fletcher wordlessly took the wagon Volt had been pushing along and headed out the tunnel mouth, aiming for a small band of people in the distance. Malcolm took up his own cart and followed, waving his farewell. 

Finral watched them go, surprised to find a twinge of sorrow in his heart.  _ Perhaps under different circumstances we could have been friends… _

A rough nudge to the side interrupted his thoughts. “Got enough juice to get us home, Kid?” Anvil looked at him hopefully.

The spatial mage nodded, every muscle in his body longing for a good night’s rest. He lifted a sluggish hand and flicked open a portal, eagerly following his teammates through. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Let me know if there’s anything I need to improve on :)


	10. Chapter 10

That sinister laughter. It echoed in the dark, shameless giggling with a haunting tone. Dark. Everything was black. Finral strained to see something- anything, but there was nothing. There were strands of a cool substance under his hand and he combed his fingers through thin spikes.  _ Grass?  _ The cruel laughter continued to ring from nowhere, though it seemed to be getting closer. Anxiety fluttered in his stomach and he tried to feel around the darkness, hoping to find some indication of where he was.  _ It’s all grass… _ Then his finger tips grazed something rough and bumpy. Whatever it was seemed to tower upwards beyond his reach. 

Something hit his back and he suddenly found himself on the ground again. He rolled over to find a pair of wicked eyes staring down at him, an equally horrific toothy grin underneath them. His blood lit aflame with panic and a sharp scream escaped his mouth. 

Long, boney fingers reached out of the blackness and curled around his throat. Everything in Finral’s body begged him to move- to fight back, but he couldn’t. He felt heavy, like his limbs were full of sand.  _ Please move…  _ his breath was running thin, but still his muscles refused to work. He gathered his strength for one last attempt at freedom.

The young mage bolted upright, blankets falling to the floor in a crumpled heap. He gasped for breath in desperate gulps as he took in his surroundings. Morning sunlight poured through the gap in his curtains and the comforting smell of Charmy’s cooking wafted from the kitchen. 

_ I’m home… I’m safe.  _ He shook his head to rid the stagnating panic from his mind. Soon enough, he calmed down and swung his legs over the bed to stand up. His injuries ached and the room spun under his feet for several moments. He staggered to regain his balance and shoved the pain away. 

He made his way downstairs where most of his squadmates were already up and engaged in cheerful chatter. He selected his breakfast for the morning and sat down at a table across from Yami, who was busy with a newspaper. Finral shoveled food into his mouth while he idly read the articles on the back. Nothing particularly caught his interest, all of them about daily events and notes of recognition for people he’s never met. 

Yami huffed with interest and ruffled the paper a bit. “Get a load of this. ‘Cargo Ship Robbed in Salt Port’” 

Finral choked. He spluttered and coughed, beating on his chest until the blockage was dislodged.

“Geez, Finral, you’re not supposed to inhale it,” Yami lifted an eyebrow at him. 

“He’s fine, I wanna hear this!” Vannessa said as she approached the table. 

Yami lifted his paper again. “Says whoever it was stole a bunch of crates that were supposed to set sail yesterday. Now the guy can’t leave until it’s replaced.” His eyes skimmed across the article for more information. “The old man says he saw one of the suspects. ‘He was a young lad with brown hair dyed green. It was dark, but I reckon he had purple eyes.’” 

“Oooo, you got a secret double life, Finral?” Vannessa leaned on his shoulder. The spatial mage chuckled uneasily. His appetite disappeared and heat washed over him.  _ I can’t walk away, that’ll look suspicious.  _ He wished he could melt out of sight. 

“Are you kidding me?” Zora snickered. “That idiot wouldn’t  _ know how _ to be a criminal!” 

“Yeah!” Magna joined in. “He would probably send everything back with his name and an apology letter!”

_ Just stay calm Finral.  _ He cracked a sheepish smile, but otherwise remained unresponsive.

“The description here doesn’t sound like one of our perpetrators, but the style of crime… makes me wonder.” Yami puffed on his cigarette, contemplation written on his face. 

Zora crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. “Perhaps the lowlifes have been recruiting.”

“If this crime is connected it would mean they have a broader stomping grounds than we thought.” Yami leaned forward and glanced around the room. “Has anyone seen Asta?” 

Rapid footsteps thundered down the nearby hallway and the aforementioned boy materialized before them. “I’M RIGHT HERE, CAPTAIN! THE MORNING CHORES ARE DONE!” 

Magna slapped his hands over his ears and cringed. “God Rasta, do you have to be so dang loud?” 

“It’s my duty!” Asta tossed aside the feather duster he had been holding and thumped his chest with a salute.

“I’ve got another duty for you.” Yami dropped the newspaper on the table. “You’re going with Zora and Finral to pay the Silver Eagles a visit. This happened in their jurisdiction, perhaps those feather brains know more than the paper does.” 

“Hey! Why me?! I just got home!” Finral threw his hands on the table with indignation.

Yami slammed his own hands and leaned across the table to loom over the spatial mage. “You just had a little vacation!” His eyes darkened into an ominous stare. “You’re not getting lazy on me, are you Finral? I might have to kill you.” 

_ Yami’s never going to let me back out of this…  _ The young man resigned himself to the day’s labor, though his body longed for rest. “No… I’ll go.”

“Good.” The captain straightened his posture and pinched out his cigarette. “Now go make yourselves useful and gather more details behind this article.” 

Asta bounced with glee. “Alright! FIELD TRIP!” 

“No. It’s a mission! You’re not going there to goof off!” Yami glared at the boy, who was clearly not listening. 

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road,” Zora pushed himself off the wall and headed for the door, Asta bounding ahead of him. Finral dragged himself to his feet and steadied himself against the swirling in his head.

“God, Finral, you look like you might die,” Vanessa placed a hand on his back for support. “Lemme guess, tough night drinking?” She winked. 

“NO! I’m not you. I’m just tired from traveling yesterday.” He straightened himself. 

Zora popped his head back in the door. “Come on Pansy Ass, we’re waiting on you!” 

“That’s so rude! I’m your superior you know! ” Finral complained, shrugging Vanessa’s hand off his back.

“Yeah, whatever. Just hurry it up.” 

  
  


A portal opened in the main lobby of the Silver Eagles base, the three bulls emerging into the lavishly decorated hall. Finral sealed the vortex in time to witness an unlucky collision between zora and none other than Solid Silva, who was currently on the floor. The noble picked himself up and bared his teeth with a livid snarl. “Do you ever pay attention to where you’re going! Does your brain even work?!” 

“As if I expected you to be waiting outside our portal!” Zora growled.

Solid noticed the other bulls for the first time, broadening is rage to the entire group. “What are you filthy barbarians doing here! Don’t you have something to destroy?” 

Zora gathered the Silva’s shirt collar in his fist and fixed him with an icy glare. “What did you just call us?! I would choose your next words wisely!” 

“Get your crudy hands off me, freak!” Solid tugged himself free.

Zora narrowed his eyes. “At least I’m not a spoiled coward with an overinflated head.” 

The air crackled with tension and Finral stepped in before a battle broke loose. “Alright… let’s not get too feisty. We came here for a reason.” 

“Captain Yami wants to know about the article in his paper this morning!” Asta piped up.

Solid looked at him in disgusted confusion. “What are you talking about? Why should I care about what he reads?”

“It was about the Salt Port incident,” Zora elaborated. “Your crew was there, you should be able to answer a few questions for us.”

The nobel crossed his arms and turned his nose in the air. Finral thought about how much the action resembled Noel. Despite their critical attitude towards one another this family was more alike than they would admit. “As if I would talk to you after you have the nerve to come here and insult me!” 

“What’s going on here?” A new voice entered the mix and Nozel came forth. 

Solid slid closer to his brother’s side and pointed an accusatory finger at the bulls. “These rats barged in and deliberately picked a fight with me!” 

Nozel’s eyebrows drew closer together and he pondered the group before him. “Is this true?” 

“Of course not!” Zora growled. “Don’t get your feathers in a ruffle, Braided Bangs. We just want to know what happened to that old man’s ship.”

“Alright,” Nozel relaxed his stance. “I don’t see any harm in that.”

“But-“ Solid began to splutter, but was cut off by his brother.

“The sooner we answer their questions, the sooner they leave.” Solid looked shocked but resigned to sulking behind the captain. “His cargo was stolen,” he continued. “He gave us the description of one culprit.”

“We already know that, we read it ourselves,” Zora tapped his foot impatiently. “What kind of inside information do you have?”

“Well… the victim claims he was attacked from behind, which suggests there were at least two people involved. However, the scale of the crime makes me think there were more than that.” The captain’s mouth tightened into a frown. “This was well organized. We’re talking about entire rows of cargo ravaged, whole crates vanishing… all in the time frame of a couple hours and no clue as to where it went.” 

“They were probably the same rats we’ve been dealing with.”

“It’s quite possible, though I can’t say that with certainty… there were no descriptions to match the other incidents.”

“Well that oughta’ be enough to make the boss happy,” zora stuck his hands in his pockets and turned to face his squadmates. “Let’s go home.”

“Not even a thank you… such slobs,” Solid muttered in the background. 

_ Not again…  _ Finral hastily threw open a portal and urged Zora through before he had time to think of a comeback. He held the rift in place, expecting Asta to be close behind. 

“You know braids are supposed to go in the back, right?” Asta lifted Nozel’s hair quizzically between two fingers. The captain fixed him with an unimpressed glare. 

_ What is he thinking?! Does he have a death wish?!  _ Finral took the boy by his hood. “Come on Asta, we don’t want to overstay our welcome.” He dragged him to the portal and shoved him through to the Bulls hideout. Finral let it collapse behind him and rested a hand on his aching cheek.  _ This is only getting worse…  _ The side of his jaw was swollen and hot to the touch.  _ Perhaps I should get it looked at it.  _ He glanced around the room, Zora was relaying their findings to Yami, Vanessa, and Gordan. Asta was boisterously re-enacting the encounter with Solid to his audience of Noel, Luck, and Magna.  _ I’m not needed right now anyway. _ He made up his mind and slipped unnoticed through a portal. 

Owen gingerly ran his hand along the boy’s jawline. He stopped underneath the ear where the bone curves into a hinge. He raised an eyebrow and began to palpate the area. Finral winced against the flaring pain accompanying the action.

“How did you manage to dislocate your jaw?” Owen asked.

_ Oh, great.  _ “Oh, you know…” Finral smiled sheepishly and looked off to the side while he thought of a response. “I fell… and hit my head.”

“I see… in that case, have you had any headaches or dizziness?” 

Finral thought back to this morning.  _ Come to think of it, I have.  _ He hadn’t paid much attention to it earlier, choking it up to fatigue. He nodded his head.

“Chances are you have a concussion as well.” Owen cast a spell that allowed him to locate injuries. It permeated Finral’s body with warm, soothing mana. The energy flowed through his systems like water and gently pulsated with a heart-like rhythm. “What’s going on with your chest?” Owen looked at him with a note of suspicion on his face.

Finral sighed softly to himself.  _ I wasn’t going to show that to him. _ He grudgingly lifted his shirt and threw an arm protectively across his stomach.

Owen examined the dark bruising on his chest before reaching for his arm. “What are you hiding?” He lifted it away to reveal bright, inflamed scratch lines. A serious expression briefly crossed his face, but he returned his focus to the boy’s jaw without a word “can you open your mouth?” 

Finral obeyed and the doctor gripped his jaw with both hands, placing his thumbs inside the mouth for stability. With a steady, fluid motion he maneuvered the jaw down, back, and upwards where the joint slid back into socket. Without hesitation he went to work with healing spells of varying degrees to patch up the remaining injuries. 

“Thank you,” Finral said once he was finished. “I feel good as new.” He grinned and began to stand, but Owen placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Stay here a moment, I want to have a talk with you.” He pulled over a stool and sat with his hands in his lap. His expression softened and his voice took up a compassionate tone. “Finral… who’s hurting you?”

The Spatial mage sat in stunned silence.  _ I wasn’t ready for this! _ He darted his eyes away from Owen’s, unable to keep contact. 

“Don’t try denying it, I’ve been around long enough to recognize the patterns. You don’t need to be afraid, you know you can trust me.”

_ Maybe I could tell him…  _ Owen has taken care of him his whole life, and had always harbored a soft spot for him.  _ But what would he think of me if he knew what I’ve done?  _ He imagined the look of disgust on Owen’s face.  _ He would never look at me the same again. _

Owen reached into his coat pocket and took out a lollipop. He held it up for Finral to see. “You can have this if you tell me what’s going on.” He waved it around tantalizingly.

Finral’s mouth watered at the thought of the sugary treat and he licked his lips.  _ I wonder what flavor it is.  _ Of course Owen knew about his sweet tooth and would use it against him.  _ But what if he tries to get involved? It can’t end well.  _ He shook his head. “I can’t,” he whispered. “I’m sorry, I just can’t tell you. Please… don’t mention anything to Yami.” Certainly his captain would be ashamed if he knew one of his knights was weak enough to be battered around at will. 

Owen’s face turned grim and he weighed some options before responding. “Alright… but if you continue showing signs of abuse I’ll have to report it, it’s in my code of conduct… and because I care about you, Finral. I don’t like seeing this happen to you.” 

Finral nodded his understanding and gazed at the lollipop that was still in the doctor's hand. “Can I… still have that?” 

Owen smiled faintly and handed the treat over to the mage, who promptly unwrapped it and popped it in his mouth. Finral mumbled his thanks around the candy and left before Owen could probe him any further.


End file.
